Brazil competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. Brazil returned to the Olympic Games after missing the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Background As the Great Depression had struck the country, the delegation of 82 athletes travelled in a ship, the Itaquicê, selling coffee along the way to fund the trip. Since the San Pedro authorities charged one dollar for each person who disembarked in the Port of Los Angeles, the organizers only let out of the ship the athletes they felt had a chance to win medals plus swimmer Maria Lenk – the first South American woman to compete in the Olympics – to spend less. Afterwards, the Itaquicê went to San Francisco to sell more coffee, and there the water polo, rowing and athletics competitors got financed.
Athletics
18 men competed. The most notable case was Adalberto Cardoso, who hitched a ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and only arrived at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ten minutes prior to the 10,000 m race he would run. Cardoso competed barefoot and finished last, but was cheered by the audience and earned a special medal.
AthleteEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankJosé de Almeida 100 m 11.0 2 10.8 4 did not advanceMario Marques 100 m 11.5 5 did not advanceRicardo Guimarães 100 m 11.4 4 did not advance Domingos Puglisi 400 m 50.8 3 50.1 5 did not advance 800 m N/A 1:59.4 6 did not advance Nestor Gomes 800 m N/A 2:00.5 5 did not advance 1500 m N/A DNF AC did not advance Armando Bréa 1500 m N/A DNF AC did not advance Adalberto Cardoso 10,000m N/A Unknown 13th Antônio Giusfredi 110 m hurdles N/A 15.3 5 did not advance Sylvio Padilha 110 m hurdles N/A 15.4 4 did not advance400 m hurdles N/A 55.1 4 did not advanceCarlos dos Reis Filho400 m hurdles N/A 55.8 4 did not advance Carlos Woebcken Decathlon N/A DNF AC João Clemente da Silva Marathon N/A 3h02:06 19th Matheus Marcondes Marathon N/A DNF AC Lúcio de Castro Pole vault N/A 3.90 6th Carlos Joel Nelli Pole vault N/A NH AC Clóvis Raposo Long jump N/A 6.43 6thAntônio LiraShot put N/A— Carmine Giorgi Hammer throw N/A 36.45 13th Heitor Medina Javelin throw N/A 58 11th
Rowing
18 men competed in four different boats.
Ranks given are within the heat.
RowerCoxEventQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankEstevan Strata José RamalhoFrancisco de Bricio Coxed pair N/A 8:53.2 4thOsório Pereira Olivério Popovitch Durval Lima João Francisco de Castro Americo Fernandes Coxed four 7:29.4 4th did not advanceHenrique TomassiniAdamor Gonçalves N/A Double sculls 7:38.8 3 7:57.8 3 did not advanceVasco de Carvalho Joaquim Faria Osório PereiraCláudionor ProvenzanoAntônio Rebello JúniorFernando de AbreuJosé de CamposJosé MòAmaro da Cunha Eight N/A 6:52.4 4th Withdrew
Shooting
Six Brazilian shooters competed.
ShooterEventFinalResultRank Eugenio do Amaral 25 metre rapid fire pistol 17 13thBráz Magaldi15 17thAntônio da Silveira Manoel Braga 50 m rifle, prone 284 19thAntônio Guimarães282 20thJosé Castro277 24th
Swimming
7 men and one woman competed.
Men SwimmerEventQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankJoão Pereira100 metres Freestyle1:08.26th did not advanceManoel Villar1:08.46th did not advanceJorge de Paula 100 metres Backstroke1:29.23rd did not advanceBenvenuto Nuñes 1:21.05th did not advanceHarry Forsell 200 metres Breaststroke 3:14.66th did not advance Manoel LourençoIsaac Moraes Manoel Villar Benvenuto Nuñes4 × 200 metres Freestyle N/A10:36.57th
Women SwimmerEventQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankMaria LenkWomen's 100 metres Freestyle1:25.85th did not advanceWomen's 100 metres BackstrokeN/AN/A4th did not advanceWomen's 200 metres BreaststrokeN/A3:26.64th did not advance
Water Polo
Brazil made its debut at water polo, but the team was disqualified after the players assaulted officials at the end of the match with Germany.
Brazil vs. Germany: 3:7 Brazil vs. United States: 1:6
Team: Mario De Lorenzo, Pedro Theberge, Salvador Amendola, Jefferson Maurity Souza, Luis Henrique Da Silva, Carlos Castello Branco, Antonio Ferreira Jacobina, Adhemar Serpa
References
Official Olympic Reports 1932 Olympics Report, Brazilian Olympic Committee Sports-reference