Sports History Research Paper: 1936 Olympic Games

The 1936 Olympic Games was held in Germany with Nazi Germany using the sporting event to promote the propaganda of a united Germany with the aim of masking the atrocities that were being done on the Jews and Roma (Kass, 1976).

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler opened the 1936 Olympics using the event as an approach to seek world recognition of his regime amidst claims of domestic discontent with his leadership. Hitler will be remembered as the person who ushered the Olympic ritual of a lone runner who bears the Olympic torch from Olympia in Greece (Boykoff, 2017).

Jesse Owens

In the 1936 Berlin Olympics Owens became a legend by winning four gold medals and managed to set three world records at the time. In 4 by 100 meters relay Owens made a record that lasted for 20 years. However, the significance of Owens win was proving Hitler wrong regarding the Aryan racial superiority idea after which the people of Berlin hailed Owen as an African American hero. Jesse Owens played the biggest role in the 1936 Olympics by winning four medals and setting records despite the bid by Hitler and his cronies to make advance racial discrimination during the Olympics (Kass, 1976).

Avery Brundage

Before the 1936 Olympic which was awarded to Germany, there were plans to boycott the 1936 summer Olympics which Avery Brundage fought for America participation zealously, and he was elected to lead the American athletes maintaining that politics should not hinder sports (Boykoff, 2017).

Jeremiah Mahoney

Jeremiah Mahoney was amongst the people who supported the boycott against the Berlin 1936 Olympics due to race and religion discrimination. Jeremiah Mahoney argued that nations participation will indicate that the world was endorsing a dictatorial regime (Boykoff, 2017).

Larry Snyder

Larry Snyder coached Jesse Owens and introduced him to the track, and he went on to become an Olympic legend. If Larry Snyder hadn't identified Jesse Owens talent, he would not have impressed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic (Boykoff, 2017).

Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels was the propaganda minister who convinced Hitler that the Olympics was a chance for Nazi to exploit to convince the people in Germany and also outside Germany. Under the direction of Joseph Goebbels, the 1936 Olympics primary objective was to showcase the new Germany (Boykoff, 2017).

Leni Reifenstahl

Leni Reifenstahl was directed by Hitler to film the 1936 Olympics with the aim of using the event to advance propaganda. Leni Reifenstahl was selective by choosing to switch off the cameras under the directive of Joseph Goebbels because he did not want the world to see a German being defeated by an African American. However, Leni Reifenstahl defied Goebbels and Hitler and went ahead to film Owens victory (Kass, 1976).

American Athletic Union (AAU)

In 1936, the (AUU) which was the largest sports association at the time urged the American Olympic association not to allow American athletes to participate in the 1936 Olympics until Germany allowed the recruitment and participation of the Jewish athletes (Kass, 1976).

Carl "Luz" Long

During the 1936 Olympics, Carl "Luz" Long was a German long jumper who competed against Jesse Owens and won the silver medal. Carl "Luz" Long made his name during the Olympics by advising Owens his competitor and an African American who went ahead to win the gold medal in long jump at the event (Kass, 1976).

References

Boykoff, J. (2017). The protest, Activism, and the Olympic Games: An Overview of Key Issues and Iconic Moments. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 34(3-4), 162-183.

Kass, D. A. (1976). The issue of racism at the 1936 Olympics. Journal of Sports History, 3(3), 223-235.