Jesse and Luz: An Unlikely Olympic Friendship

Luz Long and Jesse Owens

The year was 1936.

Just 5-years later we would plunge into World War II against Germany, Japan and Italy in a bloody battle to save the world from, among other things, Adolf Hitler and his racist regime that aimed to eventually put the German People above all others.

Germane to this story is the fact that Hitler thought people of African heritage were lesser humans, inferior in every way.

So, back to 5-years prior and the 1936 Olympic games which were held in Germany. This was Hitler’s time to shine, to show the world just how great his home-grown athletes really were.

The highlight of the olympics was to be the long jump matchup between German Luz Long and an American from The Ohio State University, Mr. Jesse Owens. Long was the Aryan Poster Boy, Owens was America’s Greatest Athlete. In Germany, the matchup was being called “The Battle of the Colors.”

With Hitler and his generals watching, both athletes were warming up. However, Jesse Owens was having problems. He kept fouling. His steps were off. A much as he tried he just couldn’t figure it out. Jesse was in trouble and he was getting ready to compete in the biggest track event of his life.

Want to guess who stepped in to give him advice?

Yep. Luz Long.

Right in front of Adolph Hitler and the world, Luz Long helped Jesse Owens. He suggested that Owens draw a line behind the actual foul line, figuring that Owens was so good a couple inches wouldn’t matter.

And it didn’t.

Owens jumped, and as Luz jumped and equalled Jesse’s mark the crowd went wild. However, Owens then jumped even further, all thanks to Luz.

Amazing really.

And guess who was the first to congratulate Jesse Owens after he won the Gold Medal?

It was Luz Long.

At that moment there was no color, no racism, no politics, just two competitors, two human beings who respected each other.

“It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler,” Owens later said. “You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the twenty-four karat friendship that I felt for Luz Long at that moment.”

That pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?

Here’s a video of Long congratulating Owens: