Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA, USA, August 1, 1932
In a thrilling finish to the 100-metre final at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, American sprinter Eddie Tolan narrowly outdueled his teammate Ralph Metcalfe to claim the gold medal. The race was so close that it required a photo finish to determine the winner, and even after careful examination with a magnifying glass, some observers still believe Metcalfe crossed the finish line first.
Electronic timing recorded both Tolan and Metcalfe with a time of 10.38 seconds, while manual timing had them at 10.3 seconds. Since the differences between automatic and manual timing results were smaller than normal in the Los Angeles Olympics 1932, some observers believe that the timing system was only semi-automatic.
The controversy surrounding the 100-meter final has persisted for decades, with some suggesting that Metcalfe was robbed of the gold medal. However, the official result stands, and Tolan is credited with the victory.
Bob Tisdall.
Bob Tisdall of the Republic of Ireland wins the 400 metres hurdles (51.8 WR, 51.67).
Dr. Patrick O'Gallaghan from Ireland as well takes the gold in the hammer throw.
The Antwerp 1920 winner in the shot put, Ville "The Bear from Röyttä" Pörhölä, led the competition until the final round, when Dr. O'Callaghan smoothly transitioned from two spins to three, securing a cold-blooded victory.
Patrick O'Callaghan.
100m
Pittsburgh Press, August 2, 1932 (page 23)
400m hurdles and the hammer
Day 2 newspaper stories
In Finnish and released on August 2, 1932