Luz Long

2,353 words

Part 1 of 2

In addition to our sporting mission, we Germans also have the major political mission to fulfill. — Luz Long[i]

Carl Ludwig “Luz” Hermann Long (1913-1943) was a world-class German athlete who competed in both high and broad jump competitions and is best known for winning the silver medal in the broad jump at the 1936 Olympics.

He was one of the most visible ambassadors of sports in the Third Reich, sometimes even acting as standard bearer at sports events, and Long really was the ideal Aryan poster boy: tall, blond, and blue-eyed, with both a competitive and chivalrous streak to boot.