“Vinnie” Richards was 21 years old. He had trained with and shown himself to be one of the most gifted students of the great Bill Tilden. He arrived in Paris already an experienced player, having won the doubles title at Forest Hills with his mentor Tilden in 1918 at the ripe old age of 15. He had also played and won several doubles matches in the Davis Cup in partnership with Williams. Indeed, he’d only been excluded from success in singles at this point in time by the presence of the two Bills, Tilden and Johnston, on the tournament circuit. 

Richards came to Paris in 1924 with the American Olympic team to demonstrate the continued supremacy of American tennis. His partner in the men’s doubles was Frank Hunter, another bright prospect for the future. Frank had reached the singles finals at Wimbledon the previous year.

Helen Wills was 18 years old. She too was already an established competitor. She had won the singles at Forest Hills in 1923 and was now seen as a very credible contender to the world number one Suzanne Lenglen.

Only the French could mount any form of credible resistance at the games against such a strong American challenge.  Their players included Suzanne Lenglen who had been Wimbledon Singles Champion since 1919, Henri Cochet, World Clay Court Champion in 1922,  Jean Barota who had only just recently won the Wimbledon title, a young Rene Lacoste and the 29 year old Toto Brugnon.

Unfortunately, the big and keenly awaited confrontation between the French world number one and Helen Wills was not to be. Suzanne Lenglen fell ill before the games and had to withdraw. This also deprived her partner Henri Cochet a shot at a very probable gold medal in the mixed doubles.
 

It was the same outcome in the men’s doubles where Richards and Hunter beat Cochet and Brugnon in five sets; 4/6, 6/2, 6/3, 2/6, 6/3.

As for Helen Wills, in the absence of Suzanne Lenglen, nobody could match her. She won gold medals in both the singles and the doubles.

Finally, Vincent Richards won his third and silver medal with Marion Jessop losing to Wighman and Williams in the final of the mixed doubles.

Note also that J.Boland, the Olympic Singles Champion of 1896 is said to be Irish. He did indeed emanate from the Emerald Isle, but Ireland didn’t actually gain independence until 1922.

A.Gore (U.K.)