Olympics: The Ninth Olympic Games

OLYMPICS: THE NINTH OLYMPIC GAMES

American Preparations

In 1928 the tryout system developed in 1920 received its most enthusiastic response with twelve thousand to fifteen thousand athletes competing for places on the 320-member Olympic team. The U.S. Olympic Committee raised $415,696 and spent $330,465. The U.S. Olympic Committee president, Maj. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, expressed absolute faith in the American team who would travel to Amsterdam for the July-August summer games and to Saint Moritz in February for the winter games: "Without exception our athletes have come through the long grind of training into superb condition. They are prepared both mentally and physically for the great test. Americans can rest serene and assured," MacArthur asserted. Buoyed by self-confidence, money, and talent, the Americans anticipated great success in the games. But although the United States won more gold medals than any other team—twenty-four—they did not live up to their own or others' expectations and came home disappointed.

Poor Track-and-Field Showing

The American men's track-and-field team won eight gold medals, its worst performance in Olympic history. The United States failed to place in seven major races—the 100-meter, 200-meter, 800-meter, 1,500-meter, 5,000-meter, 10,000-meter, and the marathon. American gold medal winners were Ray Barbuti, who took the 400-meter race in 47.8 seconds; he was also a member of the gold-medal U.S. 1,600-meter relay team with Emerson Spencer, George Baird, and Fred Alderman, who finished in a time of 3 minutes 14.2 seconds. Robert King won the high jump; Edward Hamm took the broad jump; Sabin Carr claimed the pole vault; John Kuck won the shot put; and the dentist Clarence Houser, who had taken both the discus and the shot put in 1924, repeated as discus champion. The Americans also took the 400-meter relay in 41 seconds.

U.S. Female Athletes

In 1928 female track-and-field athletes competed for the first time in modern Olympic history. Elizabeth Robinson won the 100-meter dash in 12.2 seconds and was the only American female gold medalist. American women swimmers and divers, on the other hand, had an excellent showing, winning five of seven events: Albina Osipowich won the 100-meter free-style; Martha Norelius, the 400-meter freestyle; Helen Meany, low springboard diving; Elizabeth Becker Pinkston, high diving; and Adelaide Lambert, Eleanor Garatti, Norelius, and Osipowich, the 400-meter relay.

U.S. Men's Swimming

The American men won five of eight events in swimming. The 800-meter relay race was won by Austin Clapp, Walter Laufer, George Kojac, and Johnny Weissmuller. Peter Desjardins dominated both the low springboard diving and the high-diving competition; Kojac claimed the gold in the 100-meter backstroke; and Weissmuller won the 100-meter free-style. After the 1928 Olympics Weissmuller retired from competition and during the 1930s became Hollywood's most famous Tarzan.

Other Outstanding Performances

In rowing the University of California's eight-oared shell defeated the Thames Rowing Club for the gold medal. Paul Costello, with partner Charles Mcllwaine, won a gold medal in the double sculls for the third straight Olympics. Although Americans reached the finals in every wrestling weight class, only Allie Morrison, a featherweight, won a gold medal. The United States won no championships in boxing.

Winter in Saint Moritz

In the Saint Moritz, Switzerland, winter games, the United States showed surprising strength but finished a distant second to Norway in overall points, 109.5 to 51. John Heaton won the skeleton bobsled race, while his brother, Jennison Heaton, finished second. Seventeen-year-old Billie Fiske led the American five-man bobsled team to victory in 3 minutes 20.5 seconds.

Mixed Results

In his official if somewhat ineloquent summation of the 1928 Olympics, General MacArthur adopted a positive stance in regard to the American team's quite mixed results: "Nothing is more synonymous of our national success than is our national success in athletics. The team proved itself a worthy successor of its brilliant predecessors." The United States did outscore other nations in the competition, but its expectations were not met by its actual accomplishments.

Sources:

James Coote, A Picture History of the Olympics (New York: Macmillan, 1972);

Richard Schaap, An Illustrated History of the Olympics, second edition (New York: Knopf, 1967);

Alexander M. Weyand, The Olympic Pageant (New York: Macmillan, 1952).