Did you know that only 24 out of 69 members of Brazil’s Olympic team competed during the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles?
It was due to the $1 head tax per person, which the US required when entering the country.
At that time, Brazil was heavily impoverished by the Great Depression that the only way they could get their team to Los Angeles was to put them on a barge together with 25 tons of coffee that acts as their ticket when sold in the ports they’d pass along the way.
Unfortunately, only US$24 worth of coffee were sold. The Brazilian consulate …read more

Do you remember Stella the Fella?
Poland runner Stella Walsh [Stanislawa Walasiewicz] was a dominant runner between the 1930s and the 1940s. However, she’s also considered one of the biggest hoaxes in Olympic history.
She won the gold in the 100m during the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. She’s the first woman to ever break the 12-second barrier. This feat plus years of amateur running earned her the distinction of being inducted to the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975.
But it was after Helen Stephens beat her in the 100m event during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin that created …read more