Essay on My Greatest Olympic Prize

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Introduction :
The lesson "My Greatest Olympic Prize" is the  heart-touching
experience of Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens.  Adolf Hitler
believed in Aryan Superiority theory.  He thought that his
German athlets belong to a master's race and they would
perform better than other participants in the 1936 Olympics,
Berlin.  So nationalistic feelings were running high.  The
American Negro athlete Jesse Owens took 6 years of painful
practice, purposely to break the theory of Hitler. He had
already made a world record in long jump just in the last year.
So he expected to win the gold medal easily this time.

Jesse' s  Poor Performance: 

An angry athlete will commit mistakes.  Jesse Owens was no
exception to this. He was hot under the collar (angry) with
Hitler's childish Aryan theory.  So he committed mistakes.  His
performance in trial was very poor. He kicked the pit in disgust.
But the German Luz Long performed well.  He was qualified for
the final.  This disturbed Jesse Owens very much.

The Help by Luz Long:

Luz Long is a tall German long jumper.  Though he is trained
by Hitler, he does not believe in Hitler's theory.  Jesse Owens is
his opponent player but he is friendly with him and even helps
him to get qualified for final.  He suggests to draw a line behind
take off board and then to jump.   He is not as emotional as
Jesse.

Who won the gold medal?

Luz Long broke his past record in long jump. However it is
Jesse Owens who won the gold medal by jumping 26 feet 5,
5/16 inches.  Luz Long congratulated him by shaking his hand.
Hitler glared at both of them.

Jesse's Greatest Olympic Prize:

Coubertin is the founder of modern Olympic games.  According
to him, the true spirit of Olympic is not winning but taking part.
It is not winning but fighting well that matters. Luz Long did
not win. But he was a good example of Olympic spirit. To Jesse
Owens, the greatest Olympic prize is not the gold medal but his
new and noble friendship with Luz Long.

short answer for Olympic prize

1.) Which is considered as the greatest Olympic Prize Why?

Answer: Luz Long's friendship was the greatest Olympic
Prize that Owens ever won in his life. Luz Long's compassion
and camaraderie touched Owens. Luz Long recognized the
battle in Owens' mind and offered him a valuable tip.

What were Luz Long's views about Aryan supremacy theory?

2. What were Long's view about Hitler's, Aryan Supremacy
theory? Ans: The German athlete Luz Long did not believe in
Hitler's Aryan Supremacy theory though he had
been schooled in the Nazi Youth Movement. 

3.) What turned out to be the greatest Olympic prize in Berlin

for Jesse Owens?
This was a great display of true friendship and sportsman spirit
from Luz. Jesse Owens went on to win four gold medals that
year. But he feels that Luz Long's friendship was the greatest
Olympic prize which he won in Berlin.

4.) Who is the narrator of my greatest Olympic prize?

Jesse Owens
In My greatest Olympic prize the narrator Jesse Jones gives
a first account of his experience at the Olympics in Berlin in
1936. The author uses simple and straightforward language to
describe his friendship with a German athlete.

5) Why was Jesse nervous How was he trying to hide it?

Answer: Explanation: While shaking hands with, and greeting
Luz Long, Jesse Owens was nervous because he had fouled in
the first two qualifying jumps, while Luz Long had easily
qualified in his first try. He tried to hide his nervousness by
asking Luz how he was doing.

6.)How did Luz Long help Jesse?

Carl Ludwig "Luz" Long (27 April 1913 – 14 July 1943) was a
German Olympic long-jumper, notable for winning the silver
medal in the event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and
for giving technical advice to his competitor, Jesse Owens,
who went on to win the gold medal for the long jump.

7.)Why were nationalistic feelings running high during the 1936

Berlin Olympics?
The nationalistic feelings running high during
1936 summer Olympics in Berlin because Hitler had insisted
that that his athletes were member of ''higher race".

8.)Why has Luz long been called a fine example of Coubertin's

ideal?
Luz Long has been called a fine example of Coubertin's
ideal because he believed not in winning but in fighting well.

9.)Who is the founder of modern Olympic Games?

Pierre de Coubertin
Appropriately, a Greek, Spyridon Louis, won the first marathon
at the 1896 Athens Games. Pierre de Coubertin became IOC
president in 1896 and guided the Olympic Games through its
difficult early years, when it lacked much popular support and
was overshadowed by world's fairs.

10.) Why were nationalistic feelings high during these games?

Answer. Adolf Hitler believed in Aryans superiority theory. He
thought that his German belongs to a master race and and
they would perform better than other participants in 1936
Olympics , Berlin. So nationalistic feelings were high
during these games
11.) What mistake did Jesse Owens make during the qualifying
jumps?
Ans. Jesse Owens failed to qualify for the finals in the first
two jumps because he committed mistakes. On the first of
his three qualifying jumps, he leaped from several inches
betond the take-off board for a foul. On the second jump, he
fouled even worse.

Answer the following questions in about 25 words :

Question 1.
Who was Jesse Owens ? Why did he visit Berlin in the
summer of 1936 ? 
Jesse Owens was an American Negro. He visited Berlin in the
summer of 1936 to take part in the Olympic Games.

Or
When and where were Olympic Games being held? 

(Olympic Games were being held in 1936 in Berlin.

Question 2.
what was Hitler’s Master Race Theory ? 
Answer:
Hitler’s Master Race Theory was that Germans were superior to
other races of the world and they were members of a master
race—the Aryans.

Question 3.
What was expected of Jesse Owens and why ?

                                Or
What was the Olympic event that Jesse Owens was
expected to win easily?

Answer:
It was expected of Jesse Owens to win a gold medal in long
jump because he had already established a new world record in
it only a year before.
Question 4.
What did Jesse Owens think would happen if Luz Long
won ?
Answer:
Jesse Owens thought that if Luz Long won, it would encourage
the Master Race Theory of Hitler and it will be against spirit of
Olympic Games.

Question 5.
why was Jesse Owens angry?
Answer:
Jesse Owens was angry because he did not like Hitler’s Master
Race Theory that the German race was superior to all others.

Question 6.
What happened with Jesse Owens on the first of his
three qualifying  jumps ?
Answer:
On the first of his three qualifying jumps Jesse Owens leaped
from several inches beyond the take off board for a no jump.
Question 7.
What might have happened if Jesse Owens had failed to
control his anger ?
Answer:
If Jesse Owens had failed to control his anger, he would not
have succeeded to qualify for the finals and won the Gold
Medal.

Question 8.
Whose hand did Jesse Owens feel on his shoulder ? What
did it signify ? 
Answer:
Jesse Owens felt the hand of Luz Long on his shoulder who was
the tall German long jumper. It signifies that he did not believe
in the Aryan-supremacy business of Hitler.
Question 9.
Who was Luz Long ? In what way did he differ from the
other members of his race ?
Answer:
Luz Long was a German. He differed from other members of his
race as he did not believe in the superiority of races. He
believed in equality of men.
Question 10.
How did Luz Long help Jesse Owens in qualifying for the
final jumps ?                                              Or
How did Luz Long help Jesse Owens to correct the
error ?
Answer:
Luz Long helped Jesse Owens by encouraging and, giving him
useful directions. Luz advised him to mark a line a few inches
behind the board and aim at making his take off from there.
Question 11.
What did Luz Long do on the successfJesse Owens in the
finals?

Answer:
Luz Long gave hearty congratulations to Jesse Owens on his
success in the finals. He shook Owens’s hand hard with a true
smile.
Question 12.
what kind of friendship did Jesse Owens feel for Luz
Long?
Answer:
Jesse Owens felt that his friendship with Luz Long was so
valuable and dear that if all of his gold medals and cups were
melted, they would not be enough to envelope that friendship.
Question 13.
LuzLong is said to be a fine example of Coubertin’s ideal.
What was Coubertin’s ideal?                         Or
Who was Pierre de Coubertin ? What is the important
thing in the Olympic Games ?                        Or
What was Pierre de Coubertin’s statement about the
Olympic Games ?                        Or
Who was Coubertin and what was his ideal ?                    
Or
what is the important thing in Olympic Games? 
Answer:
Coubertin’s ideal was that “the important thing in the Olympic
Games is not winning but fighting well. Life is not conquering
but fighting well.”
Question 14.
Why has Luz Longbeen called a fine example of
Coubertin’s ideal? 
Answer:
Luz Long has been called a fine example of Coubertin’s ideal
because he believed not in winning but in fighting well.
Question 15.
How does the friendship between Luz Long and Jesse
Owens justify
the principles of the Olympic Games ?

Answer:
The friendship between Luz Long and Jesse Owens broke the
barrier of racism. It justified the ideal that in Olympic Games
winning is not important, but taking part and fighting well is
important.
Question 16.
who was the founder of modern Olympic Games ? 

Answer:
Pierre de Coubertin was the founder of modern Olympic
Games. He was a French Baron and is responsible for the
revival of the Olympic Games in 1896.
Question 17.
What was Jesse Owens’ greatest Olympic Prize ? How
could he achieve it? 
Answer:
Jesse Owens’s greatest Olympic prize was his true friendship
with Luz Long. He had formed a real friendship with Luz Long
who was a nice man like him. He could achieve it with the real
spirit of a sportsman like Luz Long.

Question 18.
Give a brief character sketch of Luz Long. 
Answer:
Luz Long was a true sportsman. He believed in equality of men.
He helped, encouraged and advised Jesse Owens as true
friend.
Question 19.
Whose hand did Jesse Owens feel on his shoulders ?
What did it | signify? 
Answer:
Jesse Owens felt Luz Long’s hand on his shoulder. It signified
his true friendship.

Question: 1 – What was Hitlar’s master race theory?

Answer: Hitler’s master race theory was that the Germans
belonged to a superior race. They were born to rule over
others.

Question: 2 – What was expected of Jesse Owens?

Answer: It was expected of Jesse Owens that he would win the
gold medal in long jump.

Question: 3 – How did Luz Long help Jesse Owens in qualifying

for the final jumps?
Answer: Luz Long advised Jesse Owens to draw a line a few
inches behind the board and to avoid foul.

Question: 4 – What is the idea of Coubertin? (or) What was De

Coubertin’s statement about the Olympic Games?
Answer: Coubertin’s idea was that “the important thing in “The
Olympic Games, is not winning but taking part and fighting
well”.

Question: 5 – Why was Jesse Owens angry?

Answer: Jesse Owens was angry because he believed in the
equality of man. He did not like the theory of Hitler.

Multiple choice questions:

Choose the correct answer:

1. Jesse Owens disliked Adolf Hitler because____.

a. he patronised Luz Long, a rival of Jesse Owens
b. he had kept Luz Long hidden from other Olympic athletes
c. he advocated the theory of Aryan supremacy
d. he organised the Olympics in Berlin
2. Jesse Owens could not clear two of the three long-jump
trials because he_____.
a. was nervous b. was over-confident
c. was angry over the 'master race' theory of Hitler
d. feared that Lutz Long might defeat him
3. The important thing in Olympics is_____.

a. taking part b. playing tricks c. giving trials d. winning

4. The essential thing in life is______.
a. conquering b. earning money c. fighting well
d. winning prize
5. Owens did not want Luz Long to win because_____.
a. he wanted to retain the world record he had set
b. that would have added some new support to the Nazis'
Aryan superiority theory
c. it would disappoint him after long years of training
6. Jesse Owens was angry because______.
a. he was not allowed to participate in Olympics
b. he did not qualify for the event
c. Negroes were supposed to be inferior to the Aryans
d. Germans were the superior to all other races in the world
7. Jesse Owens was_____.
 a. an American Negro b. an Australian
c. a German d. a swimmer
 
8. The Olympics were held in Berlin in the year_____.

a.1925 b.1938 c.1936 d.1947

9. The motto of the Olympics is
a. Slow and and steady wins the race
b. Participation is important than winning
c. Faster,Higher,Stronger
d. Winning is more important than participation
 10. An angry athlete is an athlete who will _____.

a. never go wrong b. always win

c. make mistakes d. will not participate
11. Luz Long ,the German athlete had ______.

a. a dull face b. a strikingly handsome, chiseled face

c. a tanned face d. a dusky complexion
12. Luz Long suggested Owens to______.
a. draw a line a few inches in the back of the board and then
take off
b. run fast
c. not to participate in the finals
d. foul in the last attempt
 13. Jesse Owens set a new record of-------- in the Berlin
Olympics
a. 26 feet 5-5/16 inches
b. 32 feet 4-4/14 inches
 c. 5 feet 6-7/14 inches
d. 25 feet 4-4/15 inches
14. Jesse Owens considers his friendship with Lutz Long as a
a. an 18 carat friendship b. 22 carat friendship
c. 24 carat friendship d. 23 carat friendship
15. ____ was the founder of modern Olympic Games
a. Adolf Hitler b. Jesse Owens c. Pierre De Coubertin
d. Mahatma Gandhi

Select the most suitable alternative to complete each of

the following statements :

1. Jesse Owens disliked Adolf Hitler because … 

(a) he patronised Luz Long, a rival of Jesse.
(b) he had kept Luz Long hidden from other Olympic athletes.
(c) he advocated the doctrine of the Aryan Supremacy.
(d) he suffered from vanity by organising the Games in Berlin.

2. Jesse Owens could not clear two of the three long-

jump trials because he
(a) was nervous.
(b) was over-confident.
(c) was angry over the ‘master race’ theory of Adolf
Hitler.
(d) feared that Luz Long, a German athlete, might beat him at
the finals.

3. The important thing in the Olympic Games is …. 

(b) taking part
(c) playing tricks
(d) to give trials

4. The essential thing in life is …….. 

(a) fighting well
(b) conquering
(c) earning money
(d) winning prize

5. Owens did not want Luz Long to win because

(a) he wanted to retain the world record he had set.
(b) that would have added some new support to the
Nazis’ Aryan Superiority Theory.
(c) it would disappoint him after long years of training.

6. Jesse Owens was angry because ….. 

(a) he was not allowed to take part in the event.
(b) he had not qualified himself for the event.
(c) Negroes were supposed to be inferior to Aryans.
(d) Germans were not superior to all other races of the world.

7. Jesse Owens was …………

(a) an American Negro.
(b) a great long-distance runner.
(c) a great German sportsman.

8. Olympic Games were held in Berlin in …… 

(a) 1932.
(b) 1936.
(c) 1940
(d) 1930.

9. In the beginning Jesse Owens was a little angry at

…………… 
(a) himself.
(b) Luz Long.
(c) Hitler’s ways.
(d) his coach.

10. Jesse Owens, the great Olympian, couldn’t jump

properly in the beginning because …….
(a) he was in tension.
(b) he didn’t know how to jump properly.
(c) he didn’t want to jump.
(d) he was ill.

11. Hitler believed in the .. 

(a) equality of all races.
(b) superiority of German race.
(c) superiority of English race.

12. Jesse Owens believed that his greatest Olympic Prize

was………
(a) the medal he received.
(b) the money he received.
(c) the friendship with Luz Long.

13. Luz Long was a real sportsman because

………………… 
(a) he was tall and well built.
(b) he was a German.
(c) his main object in games was not conquering but
fighting well.

14. The Olympic Games in 1936, were held in 

(a) New York
(b) Berlin
(c) Japan
(d) China