Did you know?
- In the 400m hurdles the Irish Robert Tisball won the first place and even achieved a world performance with a time of 51.8 seconds. Although he was declared first Olympic winner, the Irish athlete dropped a hurdle, and according to the rules of the event, that performance was not recognized. On the contrary, the time of the second Olympic winner, the American Glen Hardin (52,0) was recognized as world and Olympic performance. Therefore, that paradox - declaring an athlete to be the holder of the world record in a game in which he did not come first, raised issues among the members of the organizing committee, who were later led to changing the rules of the event.
- One of the innovations at the Los Angeles Games was the introduction of a commentator during the track and field events, who with his descriptions warmed up the atmosphere and kindled the spectators' interest in the efforts of the athletes. During the 10,000m, when the Finnish runner Lauri Vitanen beleaguered his fellow competitor, the American Ralph Hill, before the finish, the pleas of the commentator for decent behaviour by sports fans averted the expansion of disturbances that the above incident would potentially engender.
- During the Games of 1932 began to unfold a weird story, which would be unravelled many years later. The Polish sprinter Stella Walasiewicz was first Olympic winner in the 100 yards breaking the previous record of 12 seconds and achieving a new one with a tine of 11.9 seconds. Four years later she ranked second Olympic winner in the same event. However, no-one could imagine what would happen 44 years later. The aged Walasiewicz was killed in an affray during an armed robbery in a supermarket at Cleveland, where she lived. At the autopsy it was revealed that this great athlete was not a she but a he and had managed to keep it a secret until her death.
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