Coxless Fours, Men

As had been the case in 1924 and 1928, Great Britain was the leading nation in the coxless fours coming in to the 1932 Summer Olympics. Its lineup consisted of Felix Badcock, Hugh Edwards (a late substitute for Tom Tyler, who fell ill in Los Angeles), Rowland George, and Jack Beresford, Jr., the latter of whom had won silver and gold in the 1920 and 1924 single sculls respectively, in addition to silver in the coxed eights in 1928. Germany, whose Berliner Ruder Club had been the runners-up at the 1932 Stewards’ Challenge Cup (then the equivalent of a world championship in the event), sent four men from MRV Amicitia to Los Angeles and was considered the only possible challenger to the Britons. Great Britain, however, dominated the event in Los Angeles: it won its heat in the opening round by over six seconds ahead of the second-place Americans, and nearly 25 ahead of the Germans, and captured the gold medal by nearly five seconds in the final. Germany, which had won the repêchage, nabbed silver by only one second in a close race against Italy, who finished with bronze.