Berlin 1936: The Olympics where Jesse Owens beat Hitler
- therookiereporters
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were like no other. When Adolf Hitler watched the performance from the stands, the world witnessed a direct challenge to Nazi ideology.
Setting the Stage: Berlin under the Nazi regime
In 1936, the Olympic Games were held in Berlin, Germany, in the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. Hitler saw the Olympics as an opportunity to showcase the greatness of the Nazi regime. Berlin was transformed into a grand stage for Nazi propaganda: stadiums were adorned with swastikas, and visitors were carefully shielded from the regime’s most brutal policies. For Hitler, it wasn’t just about sports, it was about proving that his vision of racial superiority was global and just for the occasion, the Nazi’s stopped the antisemitic propaganda.
The American Underdog
Enter the myth, the legend, Jesse Owens, a 22-year-old athlete from Cleveland, Ohio, who sprinted his way out of the 1913 segregated South and straight into the history books. Despite the hurdles of systemic racism and poverty, Owens had already broken multiple world records by the time he set foot in Berlin.
Four Golds, One Legend
Jesse Owens redefined greatness on Hitler’s stage, winning four gold medals in the events:
100 meters: Where Owens ran past the field, becoming the fastest man on Earth for his era.
Long Jump: After a not-so-great start, Owens nailed a world-class jump of 8.06 meters.
200 meters: Where he flew around the curve to clinch another gold.
4x100 meter relay: A race dominated by Owens and his teammates —ironically, replacing two Jewish-American runners benched by U.S. officials under pressure from the Nazis.
His performance was not just dominant—it was defiant. In front of 100,000 spectators and Nazi officials, Jesse Owens dismantled the very myth Hitler wanted to uphold.
Sprinting Against Supremacy
Owens’ victories were more than athletic achievements—they were a public rebuke of Hitler’s supremacist ideology. Each time he stood on the podium with a gold medal, it was a direct contradiction to Hitler’s vision of Aryan superiority. Despite this, Owens received little acknowledgement from the Nazi leadership, and the myth that Hitler snubbed Owens - while debated - persists to this day because it reflects a deeper truth: Owens’ wins were too powerful to be ignored, too inconvenient to be celebrated by the regime.
A Rivalry Turned Brotherhood
One of the most touching stories from Berlin was Owens' encounter with Luz Lon - his German rival in the long jump. After Owens fouled his first two jumps, Long approached him and offered advice on how to adjust his mark. Owens took the advice, qualified, and eventually won gold while Long earned silver. The two walked off the field arm in arm, in front of a stunned Nazi crowd. Owens later said Long was “the epitome of what the Olympics are supposed to be about.”
Silence in the Stands
There are conflicting accounts of whether Hitler personally snubbed Owens. On the first day of the Games, Hitler shook hands only with German winners. After criticism, he stopped greeting athletes altogether. Owens himself said, “Hitler didn’t snub me, it was FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) who snubbed me.” Indeed, Owens was never invited to the White House or officially recognized by his own president after the Games.
Triumph Abroad, Segregation at Home
Even though he was hailed as a hero in Berlin, Owens returned to an America still tangled in the thorny vines of racism. Back home, he was banned from the front seats of buses, barred from sharing hotels with white athletes, and was even shuffled to service elevators at victory banquets. Post-Olympics, he faced financial hurdles, finding himself racing against horses and performing in exhibition events just to keep the lights on.
A Legacy That Outran Hate
In summary, Jesse Owens didn’t just win gold in Berlin, he proved that talent and heart matter more than hate. While Hitler watched from the stands, Owens crushed the myth of Aryan supremacy, but when he returned home, there was no hero’s welcome, just segregation and silence. Still, his story lives on. Jesse Owens showed the world that greatness can come from anywhere, and that sometimes, the fastest way to change history is to simply keep running.
Article written by Rares Denis Stochita
