Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics

Lore & Background

The wrestling events at the 1932 Summer Olympics followed a points-based elimination format introduced for Greco-Roman at the 1928 Summer Olympics, now extended to freestyle competition. Matches were scored by a jury: winners by pin received 0 points, winners by decision received 1 point, and losers received 3 points. Competitors accumulating 5 bad points were eliminated. If candidates for third place were eliminated with equal bad points in the same round and had not yet met, they were paired for the bronze medal match.

Reader's Guide

The 1932 Summer Olympics wrestling competition is notable for formalizing the points-based elimination system that had been introduced for Greco-Roman in 1928 and was now applied to freestyle as well. This scoring method—awarding 0 points for a pin, 1 point for a decision win, and 3 points for a loss—created a structured path to elimination at 5 bad points. The event also introduced a specific rule for determining the third-place finisher when candidates were eliminated with equal bad points in the same round. Held at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, the competition drew 18 participating nations, reflecting the sport's growing international reach. The medal table and summaries for both Greco-Roman and freestyle weight categories were recorded, though the source article does not list specific medalists or nations.

Did You Know?

• Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics was held from August 1–7 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.
• The competition was split into two disciplines: Freestyle and Greco-Roman.
• Eighteen nations participated in the wrestling events.
• The points system awarded 0 points for a win by pin, 1 point for a win by decision, and 3 points for a loss.