Olympics

Luz Long’s Silver Medal Auctioned

Luz Long’s Silver Medal Auctioned

10/18/2022

The silver medal won by German athlete Luz Long in the long jump at the 1936 Munich Olympics fetched $488,435 at auction on October 16, 2022, a record for an Olympic silver medal sold at public auction. In all, 20 bids were made for the medal, which had attracted a significant amount of worldwide media attention. Many other pieces of…read more

Carl Ludwig “Luz” Long — Won the Silver Medal in Long Jump at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Carl Ludwig “Luz” Long — Won the Silver Medal in Long Jump at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

02/08/2017

Updated on 10/18/2022

German athlete Luz Long is quite possibly the ultimate Silver Medalist. He is the athlete who finished second to American Jesse Owens in the long jump competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but more than that, he made sports history with a gesture that stunned many who witnessed it. After their competition, Long, a white man, enthusiastically embraced Owens, a black…read more

Thomas William “Bill” Burgess — Second Person to Swim Across the English Channel

Thomas William “Bill” Burgess — Second Person to Swim Across the English Channel

12/19/2016

Updated on 10/20/2022

Thomas William Burgess got up on the morning of September 5, 1911, ready to make history. Having already tried and failed 15 times before, he knew what he was up against. He wanted to become the second person to swim across the English Channel, and the first to do so since 1875 when Captain Matthew Webb breast-stroked his way across the…read more