Berlino 1936

Berlin inaugurated the tradition of lighting the Olympic torch at Olympia using the sun's rays: the idea came from Carl Diem, head of the Olympic organising committee. Along with the official documentary film "Olympia" by Leni Riefenstahl. The Olympics of the "Aryan greatness" was envisioned as a model of technical organisation, unthinkable at the time. Despite the fact the expansionist and anti-Jewish policies by Adolf Hitler almost led to the Americans, English and French boycotting. What still remains is the myth that the German chancellor refused to shake the hand of the hero of the Games, the "black antelope" Jesse Owens (Hitler actually only personally congratulated German javelin thrower "Tilly" Fleischer). Berlin saw Basketball join the Olympics. The Italians, third in the medal table behind the USA and Germany, had the youngest gold medal winner: Edoardo Mangiarotti who was 17 years and 4 months old.