On February 4 , 1932 1932: On the opening day of the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, N.Y., speed skater Irving Jaffee drives through a bitter wind and raging snowstorm to dethrone Norway’s Ivar Ballangrud, the world record holder, in the 5,000 meters. Jaffee edges out fellow American Eddie Murphy. Jack Shea of Lake Placid is a popular victor in the 500 meters, beating co-defending champ Bernt Evensen of Norway by five yards. The subhead of the Olympic story in The New York Times says: “Jaffee and Shea Win Over Alien Skaters in Record Time.” Both Jaffee and Shea will become double gold medalists, with Jaffee winning the 10,000 meters and Shea tacking on the 1,000 meters. The only U.S. setback today is a 2-1 loss to Canada in hockey.
About The Author
