Know Your Olympics - Los Angeles Olympics 1932

Japan's swimming shock -

Kusuo Kitamura [right] - The man who led the Japanese surprise at Los Angeles Games

The Los Angeles Games were mostly a predictable, boring affair. Not many were surprised by the results. However, the results of one discipline shocked everybody. It was swimming.

If the rise of Indian hockey surprised many in Amsterdam, what people saw in Los Angeles was nothing less than a wonder. In the men's swimming events, the swimmers from Japan created a sensation, sweeping almost all the gold medals on offer.

Yes, in men's swimming, almost all the gold medals had been taken up by Japan. In fact, in the men's 100m backstroke, an event traditionally dominated by Americans, the podium was swept by Japan.

The only man who avoided a complete sweep of gold medals by Japan was Buster Crabbe from USA. He won a gold medal in the men's 400 meters freestyle event.

However, the Los Angeles Games also saw a world record. Kusuo Kitamura of Japan won the gold medal in the men's 1500 meters freestyle event. So, what is special about it?

Kusuo was only 14 years old, 309 years old when he won that gold medal. Until the Seoul Olympics of 1988, he was the youngest individual ever to win an Olympic gold medal in any swimming event. Even today, Kusuo is the youngest male swimmer ever to win an Olympic gold medal.