Luz Long

KIND

Click on the image for a short video about Luz Long

At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, the black American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals.  However, Owens might not have won one of those gold medals if it wasn’t for an act of kindness from German long-jumper Carl Ludwig ‘Luz’ Long.

In the qualifying round of the long-jump, Jesse Owens had made two foot faults.  Long, who was the European record holder, offered Owens some advice as to how he could adjust his run-up so that he wouldn’t commit another foot fault.

Owens took Long’s advice and made a jump of 8.06 metres – winning him the gold medal.  Luz Long won the silver medal.

Owens later wrote of the 1936 Olympics: “What I remember most was the friendship I struck up with Luz Long. He was my strongest rival, yet it was he who advised me to adjust my run-up in the qualifying round and thereby helped me to win.”