My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary by Jesse Owens
The story entitled My Greatest Olympic Prize presents a real-life incident which takes place in the life of Jesse Owens during Olympic games held in Germany in the summer of 1936. The story is the heart-touching exprience of Olymic gold medalist Jesse Owens. In the Olympics which were held during the reign of Adolf Hitler, African-Amerian athlete Jesse Owens amazed the world by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games-in the hundred and two hundred meter dashes, the broad jumb and the four hundred meter relay. By winning four gold medals in the Olympics, he shattered the myth of Adolf Hilter who believed in Aryan Superiority theory. Adolf Hitler thought that his German athletes belong to a master’s race and they would perform better than other participants in the 1936 Olympics.
When this piece was originally published in October 1960, he was an extremely active member of Illinois Youth Commission. Luz Long, about whom he writes here was killed in Sicily during World War II.
Through his short autobiographical acount, Jesse showcases the true and honest friendship formed between him and German athlete Luz Long. The story shows that nothing is valuable before the true friendship. Jesse Owens won and secured gold medals but the friendship with Luz Long was his greatest Olympic prize.
My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary Introduction
When Olympic Games were being held in Berlin during the reign of Hitler, it was the summer of 1936. Hitler thought that it was an opportunity for him to show the world the power and talent of his country. Through the Olympic games, he also wanted to prove that his Aryan race was superior to all. Because of being a Nazis leader, he was an orthodox believer in Aryan Superiority theory. He was firmly dinged to the thought that the German players could perform well because they belonged to a master race. During the reign of Adolf Hitler, the nationalistic feelings were at the summit.
Jesse Owens who was an African-American athlete, did not give more importance to Hitler’s theory. Jesse had been practising hard and training himself for six years in order to win a medal at the Olympics and break Hitler’s myth of Aryan Superiority. When he set out to Berlin, a thought of winning one or two medals was lingering in his mind. He firmly believed that he could succeed in winning medal in broad jump. Actually his chief target was the broad jump. A year ago he was the student of second year in U.S., then he had set the world’s record of 26 feet 8-1/4 inches. Hence, on the basis of his previous record, everyone had expectation from him to win the medal in the Olympics.
When the trials began for the broad jump, he was extremely astonished to see that there was a tall boy who had hit the pit at almost twenty-six in his practice session. Later, Jesse Owens came to know that he was a German athlete and his name was Luz Long. He was also told that Hitler had kept him under wraps, evidently hoping to win the jump with him. Hitler wanted to use Luz Long as a trumpcard. Jesse guessed that if Luz won, it would add some new support to the Nazis’ Aryan Superiority theory. On account of being a Negro, he was against the theory of Hitler. Jesse, without caring Hitler’s theory, was determined to go to the ground. He wanted to break Hitler’s myth by showing his talent. He wanted to make him feel that other players were also superior to his players.
As it is true to all that anger is the greatest obstacle in the way of success. The same thing took place with him. His anger made him commit mistakes in his trial session. In his first three qualifying jumps on which selection depended he committed mistake. He jumped from several inches beyond the take-off board for a foul. In his second attempt he made more serious mistake than before. His poor performance made him a little bit disappointed and forced him to think what his purpose of arriving there was. He asked himself if he came three thousand miles for becoming a failure and proving himself a fool.
Then, walking a few yards from the pit, he kicked disgustedly at the dirt. Suddenly he felt the touch of someone’s hand on his shoulder. On turning back, he found that a tall German jumper who had blue eyes and seemed to be friendly, stood before him. He had easily qualified for the finals on his first attempt. He firmly shook hand with Jesse with unbreakable spirit of friendship. Introducing himself as Luz Long, he said that he did not think they had met before.
He spoke English well, though with a German twist to it. Jesse was also happy to meet the German athlete. With friendly feelings, Luz told him that there was something that was troubling him. Luz Long had already observed his performance, hence he (Luz) was aware that there was something wrong with him (Jesse). Then, in a consoling tone, Luz told Jesse that if he (Jesse) jumped with his eyes closed, he would be able to qualify. Jesse was agree with him. For sometime they were talking with each other. But Jesse did not tell him what was troubling him.
Luz tried to his best to console Jesse and calm him down. Though Luz had been schooled in the Nazi youth movement, he did not have any faith in Hitler’s theory of Aryan Supremacy. Finally when Luz felt that Jesse had now calmed down, he (Luz) pointed to the starting line and talked about it. Luz advised Jesse to draw a line a few inches in back of the board and start running from there and thus he would avoid foul in the game. And by applying this method, there was an opportunity for Jesse to qualify for final. Luz also tried to convince Jesse saying that his not being selected in his first attempt did not matter much as it was the matter of past but he should look at the future.
Jesse was extently relaxed as he got a friendly feeling from Luz. By talking with Luz, all his tension had disappeared. He followed Luz’s advice and he, confidently, drew a line a full foot in back of the board and proceeded to jump from there. He qualified with almost a foot to spare. That night Jesse went to Luz Long’s room in the Olympic village to thank him. Jesse was much obliged to Luz as he (Luz) had given him precious advice and also consoled him in adverse situation. Jesse also felt that if Luz had not been there, he would probably not have been involved in the games the other day. Luz and Jesse had been talking on different subjects for two hours.
Both of them were very well aware of the fact that an unbreakable friendship had developed between them. No feeling of rivalry was there. But Jesse thought that the next day Luz would go to the field and would try to defeat Jesse if he could. But along with that Luz also wanted him to do his best. As it happened Luz broke his last record and in doing so he inspired him to give his best performance. Jesse remembered that at the instant he lended from his final jump—the one which set the Olympic record of 26 feet 5-5/16 inches.
Luz stood at one side of him. Luz was the first person who congratulated Jesse. Despite the fact that Hitler glared at them from the stands not a hundred yards away, Luz shook Jesse’s hand hard with a smile on his face. While congratulating Jesse, Luz seemed to be true to his heart. Jesse also felt that the smile which Luz had on his face, was not fake. Though Luz was defeated, he (Luz) was not least disappointed at his losing game.
On those gracious moments of happiness, Jesse felt that if he could melt down all the gold medals and cups he had, they could not even produce a twenty four carat friendship layer. Jesse had realised that these gold medals and cups which he had won, had no value before a true friendship. Jesse also realised that Luz was the epitome of what Pierre de Coubertin, founder of modem Olympic Games must have had in mind when he said, “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.’
My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary Stanzawise Word-Meanings
Childishly = of, relating to, or befitting a child or childhood. Master race = a nation held to be racially preeminent and hence fitted to rule or enslave other people. Nationalistic = relating to or showing a belief that your country is better and more important than other countries. Sweated = worked very hard. Broad jump = long jump. Sophomore = a student in the second year at college or a four-year secondary school. Trials = tests of someone’s ability to do something.
Startled = frightened or surprised suddenly and usually not seriously. Guessed = formed an opinion. Nazi = a member of a German political party that controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler. Negro = a native to Africa. Hot under the collar = extremely exasperated or angry. Der Fuhrer = political title given to Adolf Hitler. Athlete = a person who is trained in or good at sports, games or exercises. Exception = someone or something that is different from others. Leaped = jumped over. Take off = the beginning of a jump. Foul = an action that is against the rules for which the player is given a penalty. Bitterly = angrily or unhappily. Friendly blue eyes = it refers to German athlete Luz Long.
Twist = not being natural or normal. Slang = words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech. Eating = troubling. Reassure = to make (someone) feel less afraid, upset or doubtful. Blond = of a yellow or very light brown colour. Strikingly = extremely, impressively. Chiseled = having a strong, muscular body or form. Ebb out = to recede. Glared = looked directly in an angry way. Plating = a thin layer of metal that has been added to the outside of something. Epitome = a perfect example; an example that represents or expresses something very well. Founder = one that establishes. Conquering = getting victory.
My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary About the Writer
Jesse Owens was bom on September 12,1913, in Oakville, Alabama. At the age of nine, the family moved to the Granville section of Cleveland. His early life was marked by poverty and he was forced to take menial jobs such as delivering goods and working in a shoe repair shops. However, he was able to develop his passion for running and athletics; from an early age, he was identified as having great potential talent. In later life, he gave much credit to Charles Riley, his high school coach who encouraged him and made allowances for his difficulty in making evening training sessions because Jesse had to work in a shoe repair shop.
Jesse Owens rose to national prominence in 1933, when he equalled the world record for the hundred yard dash. He attended Ohio State University but, without a scholarship, he had to continue working part time. In the 1930s, America was a highly segregated society and when travelling with the team, Jesse had to suffer the indignities of eating at separate restaurants and staying indifferent hotels. One of his great athletic feats occurred in 1935; during one particular track meet, he broke three world records. This included the long jump (Owen’s record stood for twenty five years), 220 yards and 220 yards hurdles. He also equalled the record for 100 yards.
Jesse Owen’s finest moment came in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won Olympic gold in the 100 m, long jump, 200 m and 400 metres relay (an achievement not matched until Carl Lewisin 1984). It was a convincing rebuttal to the Nazi’s hopes of displaying ‘Aryan superiority’. Hitler gave medals to German athletes on the first day, but, after Owen’s victories, decided not to give any more medals. Alber Speer later wrote that Hitler was annoyed that the negro, Jesse Owens had won so many gold medals.
With great irony, Jesse Owens was treated well during his stay in Germany. He did not experience the segregation. During the Games, Jesse Owens displayed the sportsmanship that he became renowned for. During the long jump final, he found time to massage his German rival, Long. Long later acknowledged the great spirit of sportsmanship that Jesse Owens embodied. Jesse Owens was grateful for the friendship that Long displayed.
Despite achieving a remarkable athletic achievement, Jesse Owens was denied the commercial reward or praise that he might have expected. He was never given a reception by F.D. Rosseveltor, U.S. Presdient. In 1936, the American Olympics Association rescinded his Olympic status after Owens refused to travel to Sweden because he felt the financial need to pursue some commercial enterprises back in America. Jesse was forced to take part in various ‘athletic showcases’ such as racing against horses or racing against local runners with a 10-yard head start.
He moved into business but it was not successful and it ended in bankruptcy in the 1960s. He was even prosecuted for tax evasion. However, in 1966, with the civil rights movements gaining impetus, Jesse Owens was given the opportunity to act as a goodwill ambassador speaking to large corporations and the Olympic movement. Jesse Owens died of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona, on March 31, 1980.
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