1,500 metres, Women

There were two heats with three skaters advancing to the final from each. As in the 1000 m, Canadians Lela Brooks-Potter and Jean Wilson won the heats, but again neither won the final. Both did post very fast times, well below the official world record of 3:10.4, held by Poland’s Zofja Nehringowa, but the North American packstyle format used allowed for drafting, thus invalidating the performance as a world record.

The final went to American Kit Klein, with Wilson placing second and Brooks-Potter coming in sixth and last. The bronze medal went to American Helen Bina. At the first unofficial women’s World Championship in 1933, Bina would finish third in all-around. Klein would place third in that event in 1935 and she then won the first official World Championship for women in 1936. Jean Wilson was only 22 in 1932 and great things were expected of her, but in 1933 she contracted myasthenia gravis and died at age 23.