My Greatest Olympic Prize

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

I wasn’t too worried about all this. I’d trained, sweated and disciplined myself for six
years, with the Games in mind. While I was going over on the boat, all I could think about was
taking home one or two of those gold medals. I had my eye especially on the running broad
jump.

A year before, as a sophomore at Ohio State University, I’d set the world’s record of 26 feet
8 1/4 inches. Everyone kind of expected me to win that Olympic event hands down.

(i) When and where were the Olympic Games held ?

Answer: The Olympic Games were held in the summer of 1936 in Berlin, Germany.

(ii) Why were nationalistic feelings at an all-time high ?

Answer: The nationalistic feelings during the Olympic Games were at an all-time high because
Adolf Hitler childishly insisted that his performers were members of a ‘master race’ and they
would perform better than the other participants in the 1936 Olympics.

(iii) How had Jesse Owens prepared for the Games ?

Answer: Jesse Owens had trained, sweated and disciplined himself for six years in order to
participate in the Games.

(iv) What did Jesse Owens think while he was going over on the boat ? What event had he set
his eye on ?

Answer: While Jesse Owens was going over on the boat, he thought of taking home one or two
medals. He had set his eyes on the running broad jump.

(v) What achievement had he made while he was a student at the Ohio State University ? What
were people’s expectations from him ?

Answer: He had set the world’s record of 26 feet 8 1/4 inches. People expected him to win that
Olympic event hands down.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

I was in for a surprise. When the time came for the broad jump trials, I was startled to see a
tall boy hitting the pit at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps! He turned out to be a German
named Luz Long. I was told that Hitler had kept him under wraps, evidently hoping to win the
jump with him.

(i) What surprised Jesse Owens at the broad- jump trials ?

(ii) Who was that person who startled Jesse Owens at the trials ? What was he told about that
person ?

Answer: He was Luz Long, a German athlete. He was told that Hitler had kept him under wraps,
evidently hoping to win the jump with him.

(iii) How would Long’s victory affect the Nazis ?

Answer: Jesse thought that if Long won, it would add some new support to the Nazis’ Aryan-
superiority theory.

(iv) What was Hitler’s superiority theory ?

Answer: Hitler believed in Aryan-superiority theory. He believed that the Germans belonged to
the master’s race. He thought that the German athletes would perform better than the other
participants in the 1936 Olympic Games.

(v) What was Jesse determined to do ?

Answer: Jesse, the American Negro athlete, was determined to participate in the Olympic Games
and show the master race who was superior and who wasn’t.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

An angry athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes, as any coach will tell you. I was no
exception. On the first of my three qualifying jumps, I leaped from several inches beyond the
take-off board for a foul. On the second jump, I fouled even worse. “Did I come 3000 miles for
this?” I thought bitterly. “To foul out of the trials and make a fool of myself ?”

(i) What does every coach tell the athletes ?

Answer: Every coach tells the athletes that an angry athlete will always commit mistakes.

(ii) Why did Jesse Owens fail to qualify for the finals in the first two jumps ?

Answer: He failed to qualify for the finals in the first two jumps because he committed
mistakes. On the first of his three qualifying jumps, he leaped from several inches beyond the
take-off board for a foul. On the second jump, he fouled even worse. Due to these mistakes he
failed to qualify for the finals in the first two jumps.

(iii) How did he curse himself for not qualifying for the finals in the first two jumps ?

Answer: He cursed himself by blaming himself. He said to himself, “Did I come 3000 miles for
this ?” He thought bitterly that he had made a fool of himself by committing mistakes.
(iv) What did Jesse do in disgust ? Who was the athlete that had easily qualified for the
finals in his first attempt ?

Answer: Jesse kicked at dirt in disgust. Luz Long, the German athlete, was the person who had
qualified for the finals in his first attempt.

(v) What was Luz Long’s opinion about Hitler’s superiority theory ?

Answer: Long had been schooled in the Nazi youth movement, but still he did not believe in
Hitler’s superiority theory.

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

For the next few minutes we talked together. I didn’t tell Long what was “eating” me, but he
seemed to understand my anger, and he took pains to reassure me. Although he’d been schooled
in the Nazi youth movement,, he didn’t believe in the Aryan-supremacy business any more than I
did. We laughed over the fact that he really looked the part, though. An inch taller than I,
he had a lean, muscular frame, clear blue eyes, blond hair and a strikingly handsome, chiseled
face. Finally, seeing that I had calmed down somewhat, he pointed to the take-off board.

(i) What did Long tell Jesse that made him feel good ?

Answer: When Long assured him that he would be able to qualify for the finals with his eyes
closed, this made him feel good.

(ii) What was Long’s view about Hitler’s supremacy theory ?

Answer: Although Long had been schooled in the Nazi youth movement, he did not believe in the
Hitler’s Aryan-supremacy theory.

(iii) Describe Luz Long’s physical appearance.

Answer: Luz Long was an inch taller than Jesse Owens. He had a lean, muscular frame and clear
blue eyes. He had blond hair and a strikingly handsome chiseled face.

(iv) What tip did Long give Jesse that would help him to qualify for the finals ?

Answer: Long told him that he should draw a line a few inches in back of the board and aim at
making his take-off from there. That way he would be sure not to foul and he would jump far
enough to qualify.

(v) What removed Jesse’s tension ? What did Jesse do to qualify for the finals ?

Answer: Long told Jesse that he should draw a line a few inches in back of the board and aim
at making his take-off from there. This suggestion removed Jesse’s tension.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

Suddenly all the tension seemed to ebb out of my body as the truth of what he said hit me.
Confidently, I drew a line a full foot in back of the board and proceeded to jump from there.
I qualified with almost a foot to spare.

That night I walked over to Luz Long’s room in the Olympic village to thank him. I knew that
if it hadn’t been for him I probably wouldn’t be jumping in the finals the following day. We
sat in his quarters and talked for 2 hours – about track and field, ourselves, the world
situation, a dozen other things.

(i) Why did Jesse go to Luz Long’s room? What did they talk about?

Answer: Long had told Jesse that he should draw a line a few inches in back of the board and
aim at making his take-off from there. This suggestion removed all his tension. He went to Luz
Long’s room to thank him for this suggestion.

(ii) What feeling did Jesse carry with him after talking to Long for two hours ? What did Long
want him to do ?

Answer: Jesse carried a feeling of friendship with him after talking to Long for two hours.
Long wanted him to do his best—even if that meant his winning.

(iii) How did Long fare in the event ? What did Long congratulate Jesse for ?

Answer: Long broke his own past record. He congratulated Jesse for winning the gold medal by
jumping 26 feet 5 5/16 inches.

(iv) How did Hitler react when Long congratulated Jesse by shaking hand with him ?

Answer: Hitler reacted angrily and glared at them from the stands not a hundred yards away
when Long congratulated him by shaking hand with him.

(v) What do you understand about Luz Long after his hand shake with Jesse Owens ?

Answer: We understand that Luz Long was a true sportsman. He did not feel jealous of him at
his winning the gold medal. He gave a genuine smile at Jesse’s victory.