Double Sculls, Men

Belgium and Italy withdrew from the double sculls event prior to its start, leaving five nations to compete. The favorite was the United States, who had sent their 1920 Olympic Champions, Jack Kelly, Sr. and Paul Costello, to defend their crown. This duo dominated the opening round, earning the fastest time in the heats by 18 seconds. The final, for which every country except Hungary qualified, was more closely fought, and the French pair of Marc Detton and Jean-Pierre Stock actually led for the first 1,500 metres or so. The Americans eventually pulled away, however, and won by a comfortable margin of four seconds. The Swiss team, Rudolf Bosshard and Heini Thoma (the 1923 and 1924 European champions), edged out the Brazilians for the bronze medal, but were still ten lengths behind runner-up France. This would be Kelly’s last Olympics, but Costello would win the double sculls title a third time, in 1928, alongside Charley McIlvaine.