For this week’s Olympic Wednesday analysis, we visit the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the dawn of Hollywood’s ascendancy in the global consciousness. What an event this must have been in 1932! With 1,924 athletes from 47 nations competing in 21 disciplines for 131 gold medals, it truly was a spectacle to behold by all accounts. It’s definitely an Olympiad that was documented on film to start a new trend.

The host nation dominated the Games, too, winning 110 medals overall (44G, 36S, 30B). Italy was second (36 medals overall), and Finland (25) edged out Germany (24) and Sweden (24) for third place on the medal table. Women’s participation was limited still to just 3 events each, which was not the case for male competitors. Alas, it would still be many years before gender equity would even be considered by the IOC.

Most Outstanding Male Athlete: Romeo Neri, Italy

Italian gymnast Romeo Neri was the only male athlete to win 3 gold medals: parallel bars, individual all around, and team all around. He previously won a silver medal in the horizontal bar at the 1928 Olympics, and he would compete in the 1936 Games, as well. Overall, in his Olympic career (1928-1936), he earned Top 6 finishes in 9 different events across 3 Olympiads. However, this was his peak effort, and we reward it so.

Most Outstanding Female Athlete: Helene Madison, United States

Overshadowed then and now by Mildred Didrikson (who won 2 golds and a silver in L.A.), American swimmer Helene Madison won 3 gold medals in the 100m, 400m, and the 4x100m relay events. Perhaps Didrikson (known as “Babe”) was more dynamic in winning her 3 medals (gold in 80m hurdles and javelin, silver in high jump), but Didrikson’s fame in history comes from other exploits outside of these Olympics.

Most Outstanding Male Team: American Gymnastics

Despite Neri’s accomplishments and the Italian men’s overall team gold, it was the U.S. men who took 16 overall medals (5G, 6S, 5B) out of a possible 36 medals in the discipline—including the silver in the team competition. Individual gold medals went to Dallas Bixler (horizontal bar), George Gulack (rings), Benny Bass (rope climbing), George Roth (club swinging), and Rowland Wolfe (tumbling). Yeah, we know it, too.

Most Outstanding Female Team: American Swimming & Diving

The U.S. women won 6 of the 7 gold medals up for grabs in swimming and diving, while Madison leading the way. In diving alone, the American women won all 6 medals available in the 2 events: platform and springboard. They also added a silver and a bronze in the 5 swimming events, for a total haul of 12 medals out of 21 possible podium finishes. But it’s the domination at the top that wins them this award, mostly.