Jesse Owens Wins Fourth Gold: Smashing Nazi Myths
Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin as one of 66 Black athletes on the American team, and Hitler's propaganda machine had spent months promoting the Games as proof of Aryan superiority. Owens won the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and the 4x100 relay, becoming the first American to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. The long jump victory came with an assist from German competitor Luz Long, who advised Owens to move his takeoff mark back after two fouls. Owens won; Long took silver and embraced him in front of 110,000 spectators. Owens returned home to a nation that celebrated him briefly, then expected him to use the freight elevator at his own reception at the Waldorf-Astoria.
August 9, 1936
90 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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