USA Lake Placid
III Winter International Olympic Games
4 - 15 February 1932
252 athletes (including 21 female ones) of 17 nations competed at the Games. Totally 14 sets of medals had been played for in 4 sports.
For the first time, the Winter Olympics were celebrated in the Western Hemisphere. The number of competing athletes at the Lake Placid Games was less comparing to the previous Winter Olympics, because the nations where the winter sports enjoy broad-based popularity and long traditions, had to send smaller teams of their athletes to the USA due to high travel expenses (Sweden team – 12 athletes, Finnish team – 7 athletes, etc.). Athletes of the USA and Canada made up about 50 per cent (150 persons) of the whole athlete family.
The III Olympic Winter Games were officially opened by NY Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, the future President of the United States.
WINNER MEDALS
OBVERSE: in the top half, the winged Goddess of Victory is flying above the clouds holding a laurel crown in her right hand, with the rising sun, mountains, downhill run, winter sports stadium and ski jump at the mountain feet in the background. The curved shape of the medal symbolizes the ridges of ancient columns.
REVERSE: five Olympic rings over the four-line inscription in English “III OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES LAKE PLACID 1932” and two crossed olive branches.
COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL (PLAQUE)
The plaque was made in 700 copies and presented to contestants, officials and honored guests of the Games.
OBVERSE: winged Nike, blowing its trumpet and holding a lit torch in her left hand, is proclaiming opening the Olympics. She is standing on a pedestal, crowned with the Olympic rings, and her widely spread wings half hide a mountainous landscape.
REVERSE: a six-line inscription in English reads: “III Olympic Winter Games Lake Placid 1932”. The text is embellished with olive blanches and medallions of winter sports.
Pictograms of curling on the left and sledge-racing on the right are shown in the bottom part of the plaque.
SILVER WINNER MEDAL (SECOND PRIZE)
BRONZE WINNER MEDAL (THIRD PRIZE)
COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL
For the first time, the Winter Olympics were celebrated in the Western Hemisphere. The number of competing athletes at the Lake Placid Games was less comparing to the previous Winter Olympics, because the nations where the winter sports enjoy broad-based popularity and long traditions, had to send smaller teams of their athletes to the USA due to high travel expenses (Sweden team – 12 athletes, Finnish team – 7 athletes, etc.). Athletes of the USA and Canada made up about 50 per cent (150 persons) of the whole athlete family.
The III Olympic Winter Games were officially opened by NY Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, the future President of the United States.
WINNER MEDALS
OBVERSE: in the top half, the winged Goddess of Victory is flying above the clouds holding a laurel crown in her right hand, with the rising sun, mountains, downhill run, winter sports stadium and ski jump at the mountain feet in the background. The curved shape of the medal symbolizes the ridges of ancient columns.
REVERSE: five Olympic rings over the four-line inscription in English “III OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES LAKE PLACID 1932” and two crossed olive branches.
COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL (PLAQUE)
The plaque was made in 700 copies and presented to contestants, officials and honored guests of the Games.
OBVERSE: winged Nike, blowing its trumpet and holding a lit torch in her left hand, is proclaiming opening the Olympics. She is standing on a pedestal, crowned with the Olympic rings, and her widely spread wings half hide a mountainous landscape.
REVERSE: a six-line inscription in English reads: “III Olympic Winter Games Lake Placid 1932”. The text is embellished with olive blanches and medallions of winter sports.
Pictograms of curling on the left and sledge-racing on the right are shown in the bottom part of the plaque.
SILVER WINNER MEDAL (SECOND PRIZE)
| Metal | silver |
| Diameter | 54 mm |
| Thickness | 5 mm |
| Weight | 85 g |
| Designer | - |
| Mint |
Robbins Co. (Attleboro, Mass., USA) |
BRONZE WINNER MEDAL (THIRD PRIZE)
| Metal | bronze |
| Diameter | 54 mm |
| Thickness | 5,4 mm |
| Weight | 86 g |
| Designer | - |
| Mint |
Robbins Co. (Attleboro, Mass., USA) |
COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL
| Metal | bronze |
| Height | 60 mm |
| Width | 48 mm |
| Thickness | 6 mm |
| Weight | 83 g |
| Mint | Robbins Co. (Attleboro, Mass., USA) |
Bronze commemorative medal
Bronze winner medal, third prize
Participant Diploma
Silver winner medal, second prize