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MY GREATEST OLYMPIC PRIZE - Docx RTC

Jesse Owens felt his greatest Olympic prize was not the gold medals he won, but the friendship he formed with German long jumper Luz Long at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. When Owens nearly failed to qualify due to nerves, Long encouraged him with advice that helped him advance. Though Long broke the Olympic record, he was happy for Owens winning gold. Their friendship demonstrated the true spirit of the Olympics, with sportsmanship and participation more important than winning alone.

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Aditya Vijay
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507 views2 pages

MY GREATEST OLYMPIC PRIZE - Docx RTC

Jesse Owens felt his greatest Olympic prize was not the gold medals he won, but the friendship he formed with German long jumper Luz Long at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. When Owens nearly failed to qualify due to nerves, Long encouraged him with advice that helped him advance. Though Long broke the Olympic record, he was happy for Owens winning gold. Their friendship demonstrated the true spirit of the Olympics, with sportsmanship and participation more important than winning alone.

Uploaded by

Aditya Vijay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MY GREATEST OLYMPIC PRIZE – JESSE OWENS

Read the extract and answer the questions given below:-


1) 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.
i) Why was Owens tense? What was ‘the truth’ that hit Owens? What
was the effect of the truth on him?
ii) Where did Owens go the night he qualified for the finals? What did he
do there?
iii) Owens believed that if it hadn’t been for Luz Long, he probably
wouldn’t have qualified for the finals. Do you agree? Why?
iv) Briefly describe how Luz Long and Jesse Owens performed in the
finals?
v) Luz wanted Owens to do his best in the finals – even if that meant his
own defeat. How does Luz help Owens in accomplishing his wish?
How does it reflect the theme of Owens’ autobiographical account?
i. Owens had fouled on his first two attempts and was completely tense at the
thought of not being able to qualify for the final round, should he give a similar
performance in the third attempt. The humble and friendly advice of Luz Long
released his tension.
ii. Jesse walked over to Luz Long’s room in the Olympic village to thank him. He
sat togeher with Luz and talked for two hours - expand
iii. Yes , I agree that if weren’t been for Luz Long , Owens probably wouldn’t have
qualified for the finals. Luz Long was the man who encouraged Owens when he
felt frustrated. Luz helped him qualify for the finals by giving him valuable tips.
iv. In the finals, Luz broke his own past record. In doing so he pushed Jesse to a peak
performance. Jesse won a gold medal and Olympic record of 26 feet 5-5/16
inches.
v. Luz Long was a true sportsman. Fair play and love of Games was more important
for him than winning. Hence he wanted Owens to do his best even if that meant
his own defeat.

Key Points mentioned – use them to frame your own answers.

2.You can melt down all the gold medals and cups I have, and they couldn’t
be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at the moment.
i) Give the meaning and significance of “24-carat friendship” that
Owens felt for Luz Long?
ii) How and when was there a “real friendship” formed between Owens
and Luz?
iii) How did Luz Long respond to Owens’ winning the gold? What does
it reflect about Luz’s character?
iv) What according to Coubertin, is the true spirit of Olympics? State its
significance with reference to Luz Long’s behaviour towards Owens.
v) What does Owens consider as his ‘Greatest Olympics Prize’? Why?

i) Carat is a term used to measure the content or purity of gold. 24-carat gold is also called
pure gold, without traces of any other metal. Therefore 24-carat friendship signifies the true
and pure friendship. Owens felt for Luz Long, which was free of traces of hate, anger and
malice.
ii) [Answer according to your understanding]
iii) As soon as Owens won, Luz Long congratulated him heartily. He was not disappointed
for himself but happy for Owens. Despite the fact that Hitler glared at them, Luz did not
hesitate and shook his hand hard.
iv) According to Coubertin the important thing in Olympic Games is not winning but taking
part and the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. (Exlplain..Luz)
v) The pure friendship of German athlete Luz Long is considered as the greatest Olympic
prize.
Though Jesse won four gold medals in the Berlin Olympics 1936, Luz Long was the man
who encouraged Jesse when he was undergoing frustration and mental agony. Luz helped
him qualify for the finals by giving him valuable tips. They shared their thoughts and became
good friends. And what was most striking, Luz Long showed genuine happiness when Jesse
won the gold medal. Luz Long was an epitome of the true sportsmanship and true friendship.
That is why Jesse felt that Luz’s friendship was the greatest Olympic prize he had won.

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