Interesting topic.
Based on previous reading and watching of documentaries etc whenever 1936 Olympics came up I would think about Jesse Owens winning and the snub by Hitler. However if Hitler did not shake hands with all non German athletes then it could not explicitly be said he singled out Owens. However it does change the common view that he snubbed Owens when he in fact snubbed all.
One web page has the following two paras on the subject.
"Olympic protocol obliged Hitler to either receive all medal winners or none, and Hitler chose to receive none. Reports circulated that Hitler’s snub was intended to let him avoid shaking hands with “non-Aryans,” particularly Owens.
However, despite this plausible interpretation, the snub was disputed by Owens himself, who said: “Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave. It happened that he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters. But before he left I was on my way to a broadcast and passed 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.” To say that Owens had nothing to gain by speaking highly of Adolf Hitler would be an understatement at best, so we have to assume that this is honest. Indeed, he compared Hitler favorably to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who also didn’t invite Owens to shake his hand".
Even now there are still varied accounts and at least two witnesses who say Hitler did acknowledge Owens.
An account by a German reporter at the games can be seen here. He even says Owens carried around a photo of him and Hitler.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ands-black-1936-Olympic-hero-Jesse-Owens.html
In 2014, Eric Brown, British fighter pilot and test pilot, the Fleet Air Arm's most decorated living pilot, independently stated in a BBC documentary "I actually witnessed Hitler shaking hands with Jesse Owens and congratulating him on what he had achieved." Additionally, an article in The Baltimore Sun in August 1936 reported that Hitler sent Owens a commemorative inscribed cabinet photograph of himself (one has to wonder if all athletes received this).
Clearly Poppo had a purpose in mentioning this and highlighting his last sentence. Nevertheless the fact is Owens was not treated well upon his return to the USA and there are multiple examples of his treatment. Jazzeum explained the politics of it for Rooseveldt which has to be viewed in light of attitudes at that time.
If Owens had done that in Rio this year he would be set for life financially.
However one German athlete deserves a mention.
Owens he went on to compete in the long jump, capturing the gold in that event as well. Perhaps most remarkable about this event is the man who won the silver medal behind Owens, a German named Luz Long.During the competition, he gave Owens advice on his jumps, helping him qualify for the final after a rough start for the American. Then, when Owens bested him to win the event, Long was the first to congratulate him, proving that not all Germans shared Hitler’s racist beliefs. Indeed, Owens himself was not ignorant to the significance of Long’s kindness.”It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler,” Owens said. “You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace.”
More on the relationship here
http://www.spiegel.de/international...iendship-between-owens-and-long-a-811582.html
