There were only four entrants with Frenchman Louis Hostin favored. Hostin had won silver at the 1930 European Championships and at the 1928 Olympics. The 1931 European Champion was Egypt’s Hussein Moukhtar but he did not compete in Los Angeles. Hostin’s only competition was Denmark’s Svend Olsen, bronze medalist at the 1931 Europeans. Hostin and Olsen tied in the press with 102.5 kg and both also lifted 150.0 kg in the clean & jerk, but Hostin won the gold medal with his snatch of 112.5 kg, which bettered Olsen by 5.0 kg. The other two lifters were Americans, with Henry Duey taking the bronze medal over Bill Good.