My Uncle Harry was artist at the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid. He had charge of putting the designs in the ice for figure skaters and the artistic aspects of other events. There was no Olympic village or team sports. In media coverage the feats of the individual athletes were more important than the number of medals a country won. Athletes came to Lake Placid and had to find places to stay. In 1936 the Olympics were in Nazi Germany. National rivalry, Nazi glitz and commercialism prevailed. The Olympic torch was a creation of Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda. It was downhill from then on. We're not going to go back to 1932. All international sporting events are dominated by national rivalries and commercialism. I see no point in having more of them.

I think that sporting events unite people.
Especially international events like the
Olympics which separate athletes across
continents divided by countries. The Games
are not just about one nation. They're a
collection of culture, diversity, and life.

We can contribute to building a better world by
educating youth through sport. To aim for higher
goals without discrimination of any kind, and
friendship, solidarity, and fair play.

Watching the Para-Olympics is truly inspirational.

Talking about discrimination?

18 Black athletes represented the US in the 1936
Olympics in Germany where African Americans dominated
the popular track and field events.

Many American journalists hailed the victories of
Jesse Owens and other Black athletes as a blow to
the Nazi myth of "Aryan" supremacy.

But this was under scored when the athletes returned
home to the US where discrimination against Blacks still
prevailed.

Still the friendship made by the athletes in Germany
lasted for life.

Carl Ludwig "Luz" Long - a German Olympic long jumper
notable for winning the silver medal at the 1936
Olympics in Berlin was also famous for his friendship
with the Black American athlete - Jesse Owens who went
on to win the gold medal for the long jump.

The WDG (World Dwarf Games) will take place -
July 28th until August 5th at the German Sport University
Cologne.( Deutsche Sporthochschule Koln) .

Hi Foxy,

"But this was under scored when the athletes returned
home to the US where discrimination against Blacks still
prevailed."

Did you know when black American servicemen first arrived in Australia during WWII, they were band from disembarking ship under the 'White Australia' policy. White servicemen were allowed ashore, no problem, but not Blacks. Australia to get around the impasse, then issued 8,000 special visas to Negros allowing them ashore.