Switzerland had won the coxed pairs at the last two editions of the Olympic Games, but they did not enter a team in the event in Los Angeles. In fact only four countries, Brazil, France (the 1931 European Champions), Poland, and the United States, competed, meaning that only a final was held, and it was not a particularly interesting race. The United States, Poland, and France won gold, silver, and bronze respectively, each by a significant margin. One of the Americans, Ed Jennings, improved upon the bronze medal he had won in the event at the 1924 Games.