According to the link below, Hitler stayed away from the stadium instead of witnessing Jesse Owens put white superiority in doubt. I remember Owens being a smoker who died of lung cancer at a relatively early age. He was also treated as a second-class citizen in the years immediately following his gold medals performance. A pity.
I was able to read a biography on Jesse Owens, and read how he was completely unable to reap the rewards for winning 4 gold medals, and ended up having to be a gas station attendant for years in order to make ends meet. He also had other jobs that wasn’t befitting a world class athlete who proved Hitler and the Nazis wrong. It is really a sad story, that he was treated poorly and never got the respect he deserved.
Interestingly, it was Jesse Owens who pleaded with President Carter not to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Carter proceeded with the boycott , but did praise Owens.
I’m glad that the US and other countries resorted to a diplomatic boycott, as opposed to a full blown boycott. I felt that was the appropriate balance in chastising China while not unduly punishing our athletes. These athletes train for a lifetime to achieve their dream of competing at the highest level. Peak athletic performance is a limited window of opportunity, and it’s not like you are easily guaranteed another chance to compete in the next Olympiad. I can only imagine how the athletes felt to see their dreams dashed in 1980, or iron curtain athletes in 1984, after a lifetime of dedication to their sport. I agree with you that boycotts are limited in effectiveness. Rather, I’d like to see major reforms at the IOC, so the privilege for a country to host an Olympic Games is contingent on their regard for human rights.
I’ve chosen not to watch the games, as I resent and am angered by China and their actions to date. But I am rooting for our American athletes to go out there and pull many Jesse Owens(a real American hero in my opinion), bring home medals and make us proud.
According to the link below, Hitler stayed away from the stadium instead of witnessing Jesse Owens put white superiority in doubt. I remember Owens being a smoker who died of lung cancer at a relatively early age. He was also treated as a second-class citizen in the years immediately following his gold medals performance. A pity.
https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/which-leader-snubbed-jesse-owens-hint-it-wasnt-hitler/71998/
I was able to read a biography on Jesse Owens, and read how he was completely unable to reap the rewards for winning 4 gold medals, and ended up having to be a gas station attendant for years in order to make ends meet. He also had other jobs that wasn’t befitting a world class athlete who proved Hitler and the Nazis wrong. It is really a sad story, that he was treated poorly and never got the respect he deserved.
Interestingly, it was Jesse Owens who pleaded with President Carter not to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Carter proceeded with the boycott , but did praise Owens.
One of the sources I looked at said that Owens got a congratulatory telegram from Hitler, but nothing from FDR.
I’m glad that the US and other countries resorted to a diplomatic boycott, as opposed to a full blown boycott. I felt that was the appropriate balance in chastising China while not unduly punishing our athletes. These athletes train for a lifetime to achieve their dream of competing at the highest level. Peak athletic performance is a limited window of opportunity, and it’s not like you are easily guaranteed another chance to compete in the next Olympiad. I can only imagine how the athletes felt to see their dreams dashed in 1980, or iron curtain athletes in 1984, after a lifetime of dedication to their sport. I agree with you that boycotts are limited in effectiveness. Rather, I’d like to see major reforms at the IOC, so the privilege for a country to host an Olympic Games is contingent on their regard for human rights.
I’ve chosen not to watch the games, as I resent and am angered by China and their actions to date. But I am rooting for our American athletes to go out there and pull many Jesse Owens(a real American hero in my opinion), bring home medals and make us proud.