In 1928 America scored 24 first places, Finland and Germany 10 each and Sweden 9. France, Italy, Holland and Norway came next, then Canada and Switzerland, Great Britain scoring only 3 firsts, as did Argentina.
Women's athletics were for the first time included at this Olympiad. Great Britain refrained from entering a team. Canada, with 2 victories, beat America, Germany and Poland, each of which scored one first place.
These results include the winter sports, in which Scandinavian athletes were pre-eminent.
The IXth Olympiad, at Amsterdam, was carried through in the best sporting spirit which had up to then prevailed at any celebration of the Games since their revival at Athens in 1896, particular credit being due to the Americans for the sporting way in which they accepted their unexpected reverses on the track and in the hurdle races. The much more even distribution of premier honours in all classes of competition, combined with the fact that the IXth Olympiad was almost entirely free from un pleasant or untoward incidents, proves clearly that the Olympic Games are performing admirably their function of spreading the cult of sport and sportsmanship throughout the whole world, while the successes of such countries as Egypt, Japan and the South American republics, previously regarded as non-athletic nations, were entirely satisfactory. The roughness of the water polo matches, the discontent with the boxing decisions and the demand of the Association football players for payment as com pensation for broken time, seemed to indicate clearly, however, that all sports involving personal physical contact, or in which the element of professionalism largely prevails, might possibly be expunged from the schedule of Olympic contests.
The Summer Games were celebrated at Los Angeles, U.S.A. from July 3o to August 14. Entries were limited to 3 competitors in each individual event and i team per relay race. The pro gramme comprised 14 sports, i.e. athletics, swimming, boxing, wrestling, fencing, rowing, cycling, yachting, shooting, modern pentathlon, weight-lifting, gymnastics, equestrianism and field hockey. In these events 37 countries, represented by 1,429 actual competitors, took part.
The athletic programme, comprising 23 events, was contested by 33o men representing 34 nations, and 20 World's or Olympic records were broken. In the 6 women's events there were 54 entries from II countries, and all 6 World's records were broken.
Olympic records were equalled or beaten in all 5 weight-lifting events. In fencing 15 nations took part, the U.S.A. swordsmen showing marked improvement. British India remained invincible in field hockey. Track honours in cycling were equally divided between Australia, France, Holland and Italy, but the latter coun try predominated in the road race. Sweden came first of the 18 nations contesting the 124 wrestling bouts, but U.S.A. was well in the picture.
The modern pentathlon, comprising 5 widely different events, drew a total entry of 25 all-round athletes, the representatives of I I nations. Never before had this epic event been so keenly contested, and Sweden maintained her time-honoured supremacy with a veteran team which included Lindman, victor at Paris, 1924, and 2nd at Amsterdam, 1928; Thofelt, the 1928 champion; and Count Oxenstierna, a newcomer who, although not placed first in any of the 5 events, yet won the modern pentathlon title. The yachting events took place in the Pacific Ocean off the Port of Los Angeles. There were 4 classes in which II nations made 24 entries. France took 2 first places, Sweden and America I each.
The aquatic events were notable for the phenomenal success of Japan. Japanese competitors won every race except one, which went to America. U.S.A. was outstanding in diving for both men and women and also won 4 of the 5 women's races, the other going to Australia. Records were lowered constantly.