18 African Americans (16 men and 2 women) competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. This was three times the number who had competed in the 1932 Los Angeles Games. The African American athletes on the 1936 US Olympic team brought home 14 medals: 8 gold; 4 silver; and 2 bronze.
Runners competing in the 800-meter race at the Olympic games in Berlin. In this photograph, American John Woodruff is just visible in the outside lane. He came from behind to win the race in 1:52.9 minutes.
Source record ID: 95/73/12A.
Item ViewIn 1936, John Woodruff was one of 18 African Americans on the US Olympic team competing in Berlin. He won the gold medal for the men's 800-meter race. In this clip he describes the tactics he used to win the race.
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Olympic athlete Jesse Owens won four medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany:
100-meter dash, gold
200-meter dash, gold
Broad (long) jump, gold
4x100-meter relay, gold
This footage shows Owens winning the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.3 seconds. Owens was one of the 18 African Americans (16 men and 2 women) who competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. These athletes brought home 14 medals: 8 gold; 4 silver; and 2 bronze.
Item View![US runner Jesse Owens begins the 200-meter race in which he established a new Olympic record of 20.7 seconds. [LCID: 73517a]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/73ddb3c0-be46-46b4-8936-541305b30f1e.jpg "US runner Jesse Owens begins the 200-meter race in which he established a new Olympic record of 20.7 seconds. [LCID: 73517a]")
During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, US runner Jesse Owens begins the 200-meter race in which he established a new Olympic record of 20.7 seconds. Berlin, Germany, August 2, 1936.
Item View![American Olympic runner Jesse Owens and other Olympic athletes compete in the twelfth heat of the first trial of the 100m dash. [LCID: 14523a]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/0eefaa06-6a60-46ab-832d-cc86b1f5a8de.jpg "American Olympic runner Jesse Owens and other Olympic athletes compete in the twelfth heat of the first trial of the 100m dash. [LCID: 14523a]")
American Olympic runner Jesse Owens and other Olympic athletes compete in the twelfth heat of the first trial of the 100m dash. Berlin, Germany, August 3, 1936.
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Cigarette card portraying some of the American track and field athletes who competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. The US team was the second largest to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games with 312 members, including 18 African Americans.
Cigarette cards were collectible cards often included in packages of cigarettes into the 1940s.
Item View![Athletes Jesse Owens of the United States (right) and Lutz Long of Germany at the Olympic stadium. [LCID: 43338]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/53e8619a-3779-4c16-9ada-ed55f8926658.jpg "Athletes Jesse Owens of the United States (right) and Lutz Long of Germany at the Olympic stadium. [LCID: 43338]")
Athletes Jesse Owens of the United States (right) and Lutz Long of Germany at the Olympic stadium. Berlin, Germany, 1936.
Item View![Members of the US Olympic team—runners Helen Stephens and Jesse Owens—at the Berlin Olympic Games. [LCID: 73508]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/b71b23b4-89ea-4f53-91db-0e99aa9a2cfb.jpg "Members of the US Olympic team—runners Helen Stephens and Jesse Owens—at the Berlin Olympic Games. [LCID: 73508]")
Members of the US Olympic team—runners Helen Stephens and Jesse Owens—at the Berlin Olympic Games. Germany, August 1936.
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African American athlete Archie Williams competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. He won the gold medal in the 400-meter race. The US team was the second largest to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games with 312 members, including 18 African Americans.
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African American athletes Jesse Owens and Dave Albritton pose with a German citizen. They both competed in the 1936 Olympic Games. Albritton won the silver medal in high jump. Owens won gold medals in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, broad (long) jump, and the 4x100-meter relay.
Item View![A street scene showing displays of the Olympic and German (swastika) flags in Berlin, site of the summer Olympic Games. [LCID: 76499]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/ed96600b-c637-45bb-9d33-6aa7a0795621.jpg "A street scene showing displays of the Olympic and German (swastika) flags in Berlin, site of the summer Olympic Games. [LCID: 76499]")
A street scene showing displays of the Olympic and German (swastika) flags in Berlin, site of the summer Olympic Games. Berlin, Germany, August 1936.
Item View![German (swastika) and Olympic flags bedeck Berlin during the Olympic Games. [LCID: 77805]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/803578b7-650d-4488-81d9-8bd87b3d5d5c.jpg "German (swastika) and Olympic flags bedeck Berlin during the Olympic Games. [LCID: 77805]")
German (swastika) and Olympic flags fly in Berlin during the Olympic Games. Berlin, Germany, August 1936.
Item ViewIn 1936, John Woodruff was one of 18 African Americans on the US Olympic team competing in Berlin. He won the gold medal for the men's 800-meter race. In this clip he describes his feelings upon winning the medal.
Interview date: May 15, 1996
Item ViewIn 1936, John Woodruff was one of 18 African Americans on the US Olympic team competing in Berlin. He won the gold medal for the men's 800-meter race. In this clip from an interview on May 15, 1996, Woodruff describes his personal experiences of racial discrimination during and after the Olympic Games of 1936.
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