Format: All those reaching 7.15 metres advanced to the final.
Date Started: August 4, 1936
Date Finished: August 4, 1936
(Competitors: 43; Countries: 27; Finalists: 16)
Venue(s): Olympic Stadium, Imperial Sports Field, Berlin
Overview by IAAF
Owens had already dazzled onlookers with his 100m running, and August 4 saw him sprinting 200m heats in the morning and qualifying in the long jump. He had two fouls before reaching the qualifying distance of 7.15 after taking off more than half a metre behind the board. Long, the leading European, also had difficulties but made it through to the final with his second jump. Berlin marked the first time that qualifying marks were not carried forward to the final. Owens led early with 7.74, and improved to 7.87 in the next round. All jumps were wind-assisted with the official report quoting a breeze of 3.5 to 3.7 metres per second, though wind readings on specific jumps were never released. Long responded with 7.84 in the third round, with Tajima improving from 7.65 to 7.74 to take third position from Maffei in this remarkably high level competition. Owens finally won the gold medal on his fifth jump, with 7.94, to which Long responding with 7.87. Owens rounded out his competition with the second furthest ever – 8.06 – on his last jump, while Leichum moved up from sixth to equal fourth with 7.73. All told, Hamm’s Olympic record of 7.73 was reached 12 times.
Summary by Sports-reference.com
In the qualifying, the heavy favorite, Jesse Owens, fouled on his first two jumps. What happened next is now somewhat controversial. But the story has long been told that Germany’s Luz Long, considered Owens’ biggest challenger went over to him and gave him some advice, helping to qualify easily. Some people now say that never occurred. The final was held later that day, and Owens led early, thanks to 7.74 (25-4¾) in round one and 7.87 (25-10) in round two. He then bettered that with 7.94 (26-0¾) in the fifth round and finished with 8.06 (26-5½). All the marks were considered wind-aided. Long challenged in round five with 7.87 (25-10), after jumping 7.84 (25-8¾) in round three. But at the end of the competition, he was the first person to congratulate Owens, with Adolf Hitler watching from the stands.
Whether the story of Long’s aiding Owens in front of Hitler is true or not, it is known that after the long jump, Owens and Long became close friends. Long showed Owens all around Berlin during the rest of the Olympics. After the Olympics they corresponded frequently, at least until Long was killed fighting with Rommel’s Northern African Corps. His last letter to Owens asked him to someday visit his young son in Berlin and tell him about the friendship between the blond Aryan hero, and the black son of an Alabama sharecropper. Which is how, in the early 60s, Jesse Owens came to stand besides Karl Long, as best man at his wedding.
United States
Germany
Japan
Italy
France
Sweden
Norway
Czechoslovakia
Canada
Brazil
