Sports, Athletics, and War
The Olympics of 1936 were held in Berlin, Germany and are often referred to as the Nazi Olympics. The IOC had awarded Berlin the site for the games prior to Hitler's coming to power. An attempt to boycott the games in protest of Hitler's banishment of Jewish athletes from participation in sporting events in Nazi Germany failed. The movement to boycott the games received support from Great Britain, France, Sweden, the United States and the Netherlands. At the last minute the United States decided to participate in the Olympic Games. A counter-Olympics was planned by those who continued to support a boycott. Those games were to take place in Spain, but were cancelled when the Spanish Civil War broke out. TheThe Nazi government saw the Olympic Games as an opportunity to showcase its' fascist ideology to the world. In 1936 the Berlin Games were the largest games to date with over 3,963 athletes (3, 632 men and 331 women) participating in 129 events and representing 49 nations. The games were also the most technological events to date. Olympic events were televised on a closed circuit system throughout the Olympic Village and to public halls and theaters throughout the country. The most up to date radio equipment was used to bring the Aryan victories to the average German citizen at home and at work. The Germans won 89 medals in the 1936 Games but Jesse Owens, an African-American sprinter who won four gold medals, was the greatest athletic hero.
In women's events 13 year old Marjorie Gestring of the United States won a gold medal in springboard diving and would become the youngest gold medal winner in the history of the Olympics. Inge Sorenson of Denmark won a bronze medal in the 200 m breast stroke and at age 12 was the youngest ever to participate in an individual competition. Also for the United States, Elizabeth Robinson and Helen Stephenson won their second gold medals in the 4x100 relay.
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