LOS ANGELES 1932
- 30 July – 14 August 1932
- 126 official medal events.
- 1,326 competitors from 39 countries.
- Finnish team. 41 athletes (40 participated in official events).
Given the long distance and the Great Depression, the Finnish team at the Los Angeles Games of 1932 was the smallest ever at official Olympic Summer Games. The success-laden Finnish track and field sports received painful blows in California. On the eve of the Games the International Amateur Athletics Federation decided to uphold its ban against Paavo Nurmi for breach of amateur regulations. Nurmi, who had hoped to crown his career with the Olympic marathon victory in Los Angeles, was reduced to following the Games as a spectator. On the first day of the Games Poland’s Janusz Kusocinski became the first non-Finn ever to win Olympic gold in 10,000 metres. Finns had to wait for five days for their first gold medal in athletics, until Matti Järvinen led the javelin throwers to a clean sweep of medals. Even in wrestling Finland had to cede domination to Sweden. The overall result of five gold medals from Los Angeles did not satisfy the demanding Finnish public. On the happier side of things, Heikki Savolainen led Finnish gymnasts to a total of five medals, and Bruno Ahlberg became Finland’s first Olympic medallist in boxing.
Medal Standings
| G | S | B | Total | ||
| 1 | USA | 44 | 36 | 30 | 110 |
| 2 | Italy | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
| 3 | France | 11 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| 4 | Sweden | 10 | 5 | 9 | 24 |
| 5 | Japan | 7 | 7 | 4 | 18 |
| 6 | Hungary | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| 7 | Finland | 5 | 8 | 12 | 25 |
| 8 | Great Britain | 5 | 7 | 5 | 17 |
| 9 | Germany | 4 | 12 | 7 | 23 |
| 10 | Poland | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 11 | Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Argentina | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | Canada | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 16 | Ireland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 18 | Austria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 19 | India | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Denmark | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 21 | Mexico | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Latvia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 25 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 26 | Uruguay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Spain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Belgium | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
