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Berlin, Germany, 1936: This was supposed to be the Olympics that showcased Adolf Hitler's boast of Aryan supremacy in athletics. He wanted to show the world how the German "master race" would excel in athletic prowess-to the detriment of the other races. Tragically, in just three year's time, this mindset would help trigger the catastrophe of World War II.
However, Jesse Owens was quite the opposite of what Hitler had in mind about the supposed master race. An African-American, he was the son of a poor sharecropper and the grandson of a slave. He was definitely not a pampered Aryan athlete or part of an elite group.
Yet during those Olympics, and in spite of the psychological pressure exerted against him, he did the seemingly impossible. He blew past all the track and field competitors-including all those of Aryan stock-and won four gold medals!
He became the fastest human being on earth-and proved it by winning the 100-meter sprint, the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter relay team race and the long jump. It was a feat unequaled for 48 years until another African-American, Carl Lewis, was able to repeat it in 1984.
What a courageous achievement in front of the assembled hostile leadership! Hitler had definitely been humiliated.
Montreal, Canada, 1976: The men's gymnastic competition was a close contest between the Soviet and Japanese teams. The overall team score on the last day would determine the winners. Then disaster struck the Japanese team. Shun Fujimoto, one of the key gymnasts, shattered his kneecap during the floor competition.
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