1932 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

This resulted in a controversy when AOC officials made a late change to the rules for field event qualifying (advancing eight athletes instead of five to the final rounds) without the approval of the AAU.

Two athletes (Dick Barber in the long jump and Kenneth Churchill in the javelin throw) won their events after qualifying for the last rounds outside the top five; they were selected for the Olympics, but the AAU did not recognize them as national champions.

[2]: 3  For the first time, only the top three finishers at the final trials qualified for the Olympic team; up to 1928, each nation had been allowed four entrants per event.

James Johnson, who placed sixth in both events, was suggested for the relay pool by team coach Lawson Robertson but not selected by the AOC.

[1][5] Eddie Genung won his third consecutive national title in the 800 meters, defeating NCAA champion Hornbostel; the Americans went on to place fourth, fifth and sixth at the Olympics, but the absence of Eastman cost the United States an excellent medal chance.

[2]: 72 [4][6] In the 5000 and 10,000 meters the American teams were relatively weak with the exception of Ralph Hill, who won his race easily; in Los Angeles he took a close silver in a controversial race, as Finland's world record holder Lauri Lehtinen obstructed Hill's attempts to pass him in the final straight.

[8] In the 110 m hurdles, the United States fielded an extremely strong team; Keller, Saling and Beard all set both official and unratified world records during their careers, as did the man in fourth, Johnny Morriss.

[3]: 117 Glenn "Slats" Hardin crossed the finish line in first place in the 400 m hurdles, but was disqualified for running in the wrong lane.

Spitz had set a world record indoors and was generally considered the favorite, but he suffered from on-and-off injuries through the summer of 1932; at the Olympics, his ankle bothered him and he only placed ninth as Van Osdel took silver.

The United States dominated pole vault at the time; that the Americans only won gold (Miller) and bronze (Jefferson) at the Olympics was seen as a disappointment.

The triple jump (contemporarily hop, step and jump) resulted in a minor controversy surrounding the third Olympic spot behind Bowman and Romero; 1928 Olympic silver medalist Levi Casey placed third at the trials, but the AOC instead selected Sol Furth, who placed fourth.

[2]: 76  Hammer throw champion Frank Conner was also a returning Olympian; at the Olympics he failed to record a valid mark, while trials runner-up Zaremba placed third.

[11] Like long jump champion Barber, Kenneth Churchill in the javelin benefited from the AOC's rule change; he was only sixth after the qualifying rounds but came close to breaking James DeMers's American record in the final.

[1][2]: 76 The decathlon tryouts, which doubled as AAU championships, were held in Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois three weeks before the main trials.

Jim Bausch, who went on to win Olympic gold with a new world record, was in third place after five events but ran away with the competition on the second day; he excelled particularly in the throws and the pole vault.

[2]: 78  Osburn set an American record in the discus throw, winning from Jenkins and the eventual Olympic champion, Copeland; Didrikson, who was relatively unfamiliar with this event, placed fourth.