The silver medal won by Luz Long, the German long jumper who befriended Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, was auctioned off for more than $488,000, a record amount for a publicly offered second-place reward, according to the auction house.
Long and Owens celebrated their triumphs by walking arm-in-arm through the stadium while Adolf Hitler watched from the grandstand. The family of the World War II-killed long jumper opted to auction off the medal and other collectibles. The auction company designated the Luz collection a “Beacon of Hope.”
US champion Jesse Owens (R) and German champion Luz Long (L) converse on the Berlin stadium on August 1, 1936, during the Olympic Games in which Owens won four gold medals for the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and long jump. CORR/HO/AFP Images via Getty
David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, remarked, “These world-record results highlight the incredible narrative of Luz Long, the most Brave Olympian.”
In the past year, Bill Russell’s 1956 Olympic gold medal was sold for $587,000. In 2013, one of Owens’ gold medals was auctioned for $1.46 million. The cost of Luz’s award was precisely $488,435.
It is one of the most significant, if not the most inspiring, Olympic memorabilia ever auctioned, according to the auction company.
Long secured his place in Olympic history at the Berlin Games by being the first to congratulate Owens on his long jump victory. Later, they went together around the stadium and posed for photographs.
In addition, Owens recounted that Long approached him after he committed his first two fouls in the preliminary round. Owens reported that Long suggested him take off a foot in front of the board on his final attempt to ensure he did not commit a foul.
“Why don’t you draw a line a few inches behind the board and launch from there?” Luz said, according to CBSSports.com. “You will absolutely not commit a foul, and you should jump far enough to qualify. What difference does it make if you finish second in the trials?”
Owens heeded the advise and went on to win the event with an Olympic record-setting 8.06-meter vertical leap.
Owens was African-American, and his performance at those Olympics was supposed to have irritated Hitler by debunking the Nazi idea of Aryan racial superiority.
Years later, Owens remarked, “It took him a lot of bravery to befriend me.” “The 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that very time was superior to all the medals and cups I possessed. Hitler must have gone insane after witnessing our hug.”
The gold, silver, and bronze medalists in the long jump events at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin salute from the victory stand. Japan’s Naoto Tajima (bronze), America’s Jesse Owens (gold) who set an Olympic record in the event and is delivering an American-style salute with his hand to his forehead, and Germany’s Luz Long (silver) giving a Nazi salute with his arm extended. August 8, 1936. Bettmann
Owens created history in Berlin when he became the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, according to CBSSports.com. He received medals in the long jump, 100- and 200-meter sprints, and 4×100-meter relay.