Page 42 - All About History - Issue 09-14

Heroes & Villains
JESSE OWENS

Jesse Owens wins the 100 metres final in
front of Adolf Hitler

The Nazi

Olympic Games

Berlin won the bid to host the 1936 Olympic
Games in 1931 against Barcelona, the only
other competitor. The decision was made After
before the Nazis came to power but Adolf winning four
Hitler became obsessed with the 1936
Olympics and the possibility to project his gold medals at
new country (and himself) onto a worldwide ‘master race’ winning gold the Berlin Olympics, fire.” He put as little weight as
scale and recieve international recognition. medals and prove to the world possible on his feet and almost
Despite doubts from the International that his fascist state produced Owens fell on hard tip-toed to the finish line. The
Olympics Committee about the suitability of the finest men and women. times and was training paid off and he quickly
Nazi Germany hosting the games, Hitler was The German athletes selected accelerated ahead of the pack and
determined preparations would be ‘complete to compete emphasised the Nazi forced to file for won his first gold medal. Much
and magnificent’ in order to showcase the bankruptcy
dominance of the Nazi state. The head of the ideal of racial purity, men like Erich to Hitler’s dismay, Owens’ victories
Reich Sports Office, Hans von Tschammer, Borckmeyer, 1.8-metre (six-foot) tall, did not end there, as he also won gold
said the physical demands of the Olympics muscular, Germanic looking and had held in the long jump, 100-metre relay and 200
would be an excellent way of, “weeding out world records for running. When the 100 metres metres, in which he also broke the world record with
the weak, Jewish and other undesirables.” final got underway, Owens crouched onto the a time of 20.7 seconds. He was the only male US
In preparation, Hitler ordered all people starting blocks and forgot about the other athletes athlete to win multiple golds across different events.
of Jewish and Roma descent illegible for
participation in the Olympics and made sure around him. When the gun fired he didn’t step He was a star.
all athletes engendered the Nazi credo of racial heavy and remembered what his father told him: The award ceremonies involving Owens and other
purity. In response, Jewish political groups in “Imagine you’re sprinting over a ground of burning black athletes were steeped in controversy. Hitler
the US fought for a boycott and some Jewish
athletes from Europe and USA refused to Defining moment
participate in protest of Nazi tyranny. There College years 9 October 1933
was even an attempt by French, British and
Czechoslovakian pressure groups to organise After achieving record-breaking times in the national
high school championships, Owens is given his pick of
an alternative games in Barcelona, but nothing colleges to attend on scholarship. He chooses Ohio State
ultimately came of this ambitous plan. When University despite not gaining a scholarship to go there
the games got underway and non-white and therefore has to work various part-time jobs in oder to
athletes like Owens began to win medals over support himself and his wife Ruth. He wins a number of
the supposedly superior Aryan competitors, awards for his athletics and achieves national recognition
Hitler was forced to leave the stadium in order for his accomplishments, putting him in line for the 1936
to avoid shaking their hands or congratulating Olympic Games, which was to be held in Berlin. Despite
them in front of the watching crowd and the this dedication and obvious talent, he is forced to live
eyes of the world. off-campus and stay segregated from white athletes
throughout his college career.
Timeline

1913
O Born in Alabama O The Great Migration O James gets his name O Student champion
James Cleveland Owens is born Owens’ family move When Owens enrols Owens astonishes
into a family of nine brothers and from Oakville, Alabama in his new school in the nation when
sisters. He is the youngest and to Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland he answers he matches the
his mother and father struggle to look for better the register ‘JC’ for Olympic record for
to make ends meet and support opportunities for work. James Cleveland. Due the 100 metres
their large family. He was born They are part of a to his southern accent, sprint and long jump
into a society in which black million-strong movement the teacher thinks he during the 1933
people did not have the right to of people migrating from says ‘Jesse’ and the national high school
vote or other fundamental rights. the southern US. name sticks. championships.
12 September 1913 1922 1922 22 April 1933

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