Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's long jump

Last updated

Contents

Men's long jump
at the Games of the XI Olympiad
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R96374, Berlin, Olympiade, Jesse Owens beim Weitsprung.jpg
Jesse Owens
Venue Olympiastadion: Berlin, Germany
DateAugust 4, 1936
Competitors43 from 27 nations
Winning distance8.06 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Jesse Owens
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg Luz Long
Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany
Bronze medal icon.svg Naoto Tajima
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
  1932
1948  

The men's long jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on August 4, 1936. Forty-three athletes from 27 nations competed. [1] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by 19 cm by American Jesse Owens. [2] It was the United States' fourth consecutive and ninth overall gold medal in the event; it was also Owens's second of four gold medals in the 1936 Games. Luz Long won Germany's first medal in the event with silver; Naoto Tajima put Japan on the podium for the second Games in a row with bronze.

Jesse Owens and Luz Long

Jesse Owens and Luz Long walk arm-in-arm after their competition Luz Long and Jesse Owens.png
Jesse Owens and Luz Long walk arm-in-arm after their competition

The competition between Owens and Long resulted in a story of friendship, possibly embellished into mythology. Both men were accomplished long jumpers going into the Games, with Owens holding the world record and Long holding the European record. Owens, however, fouled in his first two jumps in the qualifying round; he needed a successful jump, of at least 7.15 metres, to advance to the semifinal round.

In the 1964 documentary Jesse Owens Returns to Berlin, Owens relates a story that Long came over to offer advice before Owens's third jump. According to the story, Long said that Owens should jump from a few inches before the takeoff board. This would reduce the measured distance but avoid the risk of another fault; the theory was that Owens would still clear the required distance even with the handicap of jumping early. However, this conversation may be apocryphal; Grantland Rice was watching Owens the entirety of the qualifying round and did not see him speak to Long. Author Tom Ecker relates that he asked Owens about the story in 1965 and Owens admitted that it was not true, but just a good story. [3]

In any case, Owens successfully made his third jump at 7.64 metres, advancing to the semifinal round. He and Long each beat the old Olympic record of 7.765 metres multiple times in the semifinal and final rounds. Owens finished with a best jump of 8.06 metres to Long's 7.87 metres. Then, if not before, the two met and became friends: Long was the first to congratulate Owens, embracing the African-American in front of Adolf Hitler. Owens was later the best man at the wedding of Long's son. [4] [1]

Background

This was the 10th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The only returning jumper from the 1932 Games was sixth-place finisher Naoto Tajima of Japan. Jesse Owens was the world record holder and heavy favorite. [1]

Afghanistan, the Republic of China, Peru, the Philippines, Romania, and Yugoslavia each made their first appearance in the event. The United States appeared for the 10th time, the only nation to have long jumpers at each of the Games thus far.

Competition format

The 1936 competition used a three-round format, quite different from previous iterations. For the qualifying round, each jumper had three attempts to reach the required distance of 7.15 metres. Every jumper who achieved that result in qualifying advanced to the semifinal round. There, each jumper had three jumps. The six men with the best jumps in the semifinal advanced to the final, where they received an additional three jumps; any of the six jumps from the semifinal or final would count for the final score, but not the qualifying round jumps. [1] [5]

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1928 Summer Olympics.

World recordFlag of the United States.svg  Jesse Owens  (USA)8.13 Ann Arbor, United States 25 May 1935
Olympic recordUS flag 48 stars.svg  Robert LeGendre  (USA)7.765(*) Paris, France 7 July 1924

(*) Robert LeGendre set the Olympic record in the 1924 pentathlon contest

Jesse Owens broke the Olympic record with his second jump in the final round, at 7.87 metres. Luz Long matched that with his fifth, penultimate jump (after also breaking the older record at 7.84 metres on his third), but Owens finished with 7.94 metres and 8.06 metres in his fifth and sixth jumps. However, all of these jumps were wind-aided.

Schedule

DateTimeRound
Tuesday, 4 August 193610:30
16:30
17:45
Qualifying
Semifinal
Final

Results

Qualifying

AthleteNationDistanceNotes
Jesse Owens US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7.64Q
Luz Long Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany >=7.15Q
Naoto Tajima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan >=7.15Q
Wilhelm Leichum Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany >=7.15Q
Arturo Maffei Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy >=7.15Q
Bob Clark US flag 48 stars.svg  United States >=7.15Q
John Brooks US flag 48 stars.svg  United States >=7.15Q
Robert Paul Flag of France.svg  France >=7.15Q
Artur Bäumle Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany >=7.15Q
Åke Stenqvist Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden >=7.15Q
Otto Berg Flag of Norway.svg  Norway >=7.15Q
Gianni Caldana Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 7.26Q
Josef Vosolsobě Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia >=7.15Q
Sam Richardson Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957 (with disc).svg  Canada >=7.15Q
Márcio de Oliveira Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil >=7.15Q
Kenshi Togami Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan >=7.15Q
Claude Heim Flag of France.svg  France 7.10
André Prébolin Flag of France.svg  France 7.07
Willy Rasmussen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 6.92
Bondoc Ionescu-Crum Flag of Romania.svg  Romania <7.15
Carlos de la Guerra Flag of Peru (1825-1950).svg  Peru <7.15
Edward Boyce Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain <7.15
Émile Binet Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium <7.15
François Mersch Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg <7.15
George Traynor Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain <7.15
Grigorios Lambrakis Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece <7.15
Chang Chia-gwe Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China <7.15
Henrik Koltai Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946; 3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Hungary <7.15
Ivo Buratović Flag of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia <7.15
Jiří Hoffmann Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia <7.15
Max Berendson Flag of Peru (1825-1950).svg  Peru <7.15
Marten Klasema Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands <7.15
Martti Tolamo Flag of Finland.svg  Finland <7.15
Masao Harada Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan <7.15
Mohammad Khan Flag of Afghanistan (1931-1973).svg  Afghanistan <7.15
Niño Ramírez Flag of the Philippines (1936-1985, 1986-1998).svg  Philippines <7.15
Onni Rajasaari Flag of Finland.svg  Finland <7.15
Pascual Gutiérrez Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg  Mexico <7.15
Rudolf Polame Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia <7.15
Ruudi Toomsalu Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 7.00
Hoh Chunde Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China <7.15
Situ Guong Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China <7.15
Jean Studer Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland No mark
Ingvard AndersenFlag of Denmark.svg  Denmark DNS
Walter MäderCivil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland DNS
Ignacio SánchezFlag of Spain (1931-1939).svg  Spain DNS
Pedro del Vecchio Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia DNS

Semifinal and Final

RankAthleteNationSemifinalFinal
123Result456Result
Gold medal icon.svg Jesse Owens US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7.747.87 OR 7.757.87X7.94 OR 8.06 OR 8.06
Silver medal icon.svg Luz Long Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany 7.547.747.847.847.737.87 =OR X7.87
Bronze medal icon.svg Naoto Tajima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 7.65X7.747.747.527.60X7.74
4 Wilhelm Leichum Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany XX7.527.527.387.257.737.73
Arturo Maffei Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 7.507.477.737.737.227.427.397.73
6 Bob Clark US flag 48 stars.svg  United States X7.607.547.607.607.677.577.67
7 John Brooks US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7.347.417.197.41Did not advance
8 Robert Paul Flag of France.svg  France 7.346.937.087.34Did not advance
9 Arthur Bäumle Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany 7.327.217.137.32Did not advance
10 Åke Stenqvist Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 7.307.136.687.30Did not advance
10 Otto Berg Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7.30X6.957.30Did not advance
12 Gianni Caldana Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 7.267.167.267.26Did not advance
13 Josef Vosolsobě Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia X7.037.187.18Did not advance
14 Sam Richardson Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957 (with disc).svg  Canada 7.13XX7.13Did not advance
15 Márcio de Oliveira Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil X6.817.057.05Did not advance
16 Kenshi Togami Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 6.18XX6.18Did not advance

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Long Jump, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  2. "Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Long Jump". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  3. Goldman, Tom (14 August 2009). "Was Jesse Owens' 1936 Long-Jump Story A Myth?". NPR.org. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  4. A. Augello, "Uccidi Gli Italiani", Milano, Mursia, p.174
  5. Official Report, pp. 668–69.