Jesse Owens in the Long Jump, Berlin 1936

Jesse Owens in midair in the long jump at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, August 1936, with a packed stand behind him. The long jump was one of four gold medals he won at those Games, along with the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay, and the German jumper Luz Long, his closest rival, congratulated him in full view of the crowd. Four golds by a Black American athlete at Games staged to show off the Nazi regime remain the starting point for any conversation about sport and politics.