Arnold's dad might have praised him.
Jesse Owens: "Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave. It happened he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters [race began at 5:45 p.m. But before he left I was on my way to a broadcast and passed near his box. He waved at me and I waved back. I think it was bad taste to criticize the man of the hour in another country."
In an article dated August 4, 1936, the African-American newspaper editor Robert L. Vann describes witnessing Hitler "salute" Owens for having won gold in the 100m sprint (August 3):And then;… wonder of wonders;… I saw Herr Adolph [sic] Hitler, salute this lad. I looked on with a heart which beat proudly as the lad who was crowned king of the 100 meters event, get an ovation the like of which I have never heard before. I saw Jesse Owens greeted by the Grand Chancellor of this country as a brilliant sun peeped out through the clouds. I saw a vast crowd of some 85,000 or 90,000 people stand up and cheer him to the echo.
Jesse Owens: “I wasn’t running against Hitler. I was running against the world.”
Unfortunately, President Roosevelt did not receive or contact Jesse Owens, who later commented: “
Hitler didn’t snub me—it was our president who snubbed me…The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”Jesse Owens was great friends with silver medal winner German long jumper Luz Long.
When Jesse Owens says that he felt 24-carat friendship for Luz Long, he means that Long's friendship was pure and true. When Luz was congratulating him after winning the gold in the board jump finals, it was not the fake smile with a broken heart, but a genuine one.
German Luz Long and American Jesse Owens arm in arm
