What is the most famous day in Olympic history? Perhaps you’d say the day Hitler was humiliated in his own back yard. August 4th: An Olympic Odyssey, Discovery 2024
A pioneering mother judged too old to make the grade: Fanny Blankers Koen. August 4th: An Olympic Odyssey, Discovery 2024
In 1931 Germany won the right to host the 1936 Olympic Games. ibid.
The greatest track and field star of his generation. ibid.
‘He was receiving pressure to go or not to go.’ ibid. Jesse Owens’ grandson
August 4th 1936: 100,000 people had gathered in the Olympic stadium. ibid.
Long Jump: Luz v Jesse: ‘broke the Olympic record multiple times.’ ibid.
Long Jump: 8.06m new world record. ibid.
‘The friendship that was forged out of the competition between our grandfathers.’ ibid. Jesse’s grandson & Luz’ granddaughter
Tokyo 2020 Skateboarding: Sky Brown had just turned 13 … ‘It was a very special day.’ ibid.
1948 White City, London: 80m hurdles: Fanny Blankers-Koen. ibid.
Chris Stoddart, wheelchair racer, 1976 Toronto Paralympic Games. ibid.
Carl Lewis, Los Angeles Olympics 1984: 4 gold medals.
London, 2012, Super Saturday: Rowing, Cycling, Jessica Ennis (Heptathlon), Greg Rutherford (Long Jump), Mo Farah (5,000 metres) ibid.
The best Olympian we have ever had in the UK. Daley: Olympic Superstar, Seb Coe, BBC 2024
Jurgen was built like a god, you know. ibid. Daley
We lived in a council house. We shared bedrooms. ibid.
There was a problem back in London and my dad had been killed. ibid.
I just wanted to be the best at something. And I started doing athletics. ibid.
My mum never came to watch me compete. ibid.
Montreal 1976: When you’re 17 doing your A-levels and then four weeks later to be doing the Olympic Games. ibid.
Moscow 1980: The greatest athlete in the world, the Olympic champion. ibid. UK commentary
Life did change. There was a lot of media interest. ibid. Daley
Los Angeles 1984: My three biggest rivals are all from Germany. ibid.
Seoul 1988: He still believed he could win even with injury. ibid. coach
He was only 22 points short of a bronze medal. ibid.
Just days before the Paris Olympics where British athletes will be going for sporting glory. The inside track on their quest for Olympic gold. The Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold I & II, Channel 4 2024
In 1946 a battered city that had lost over 30,000 people was asked to host the first post-war Olympics – London. London ’48: The Austerity Olympics, Channel 5 2024
Enter the right man at the right time. Enter Arthur Elvin. ibid.
‘Elvin was committed to making Wembley Stadium the greatest stadium in the world.’ ibid.
Elvin offered his stadium for a major cut of ticket, food and drink sales. ibid.
With food shortages to cope with, training was hard. ibid.
Newly independent India made its debut at the Olympics. ibid.
20 of the Indian contingent were elite hockey players. ibid.
Hundreds of volunteers ushered tens of thousands of spectators and athletes into the stadium. ibid.
[Fanny] Blankers-Koen did not fit the profile of a promising young athlete. ibid.
She went on to win an historic four golds. ibid.
As athletes sleep at the Olympic games, masked gunmen launch an attack. The terrorists kill two people and take nine hostage. After hours of negotiations, a desperate rescue operation is launched. But it ends in catastrophe. Seventeen people are dead, and the world faces a terrifying new reality. Seconds from Disaster s3e4: Munich Olympic Massacre, National Geographic 2006
The snipers fail to eliminate the terrorists. A furious gun battle erupts … For thirty minutes they exchange gunfire with the terrorists … Two massive explosions … The media reveals the full extent of the carnage. ibid.