Is it true that the Nazi's popularised the modern Olympics

[nickryan]

And that after the Berlin games the torch was used to 'ceremoniously' light some of the ovens used in the holocaust atrocities?

[boxtops]

I think someone's pulling your leg, nick.....

[mike11111]

That sounds highly unlikely. The modern Olympics began in 1896.

[DTCwordfan]

Is it April 1 again?

[craft1948]

Good first question....................

[Zeuhl]

I think Jesse Owens rather spoilt it for them

[Mosaic]

The Nazis were certainly keen to use the Olympics to showcase the perfection of the 'Aryan' type, but I think the bit about the torch is made up.

[boxtops]

I don't think they popularised it, it's not exactly unpopular, if you like that sort of thing.

[naomi24]

Zeuhl, According to Steohen Fry on QI, that thing about Hitler refusing to acknowledge Jessie Owens isn't true - and Jessie Owens himself said that. I've forgotten why, but apparently Hitler didn't acknowledge any of the athletes. Maybe someone else will remember.

[mike11111]

that sounds to me like a get-out on Hitler's part. By refusing to acknowledge anyone he could not be accused of discrimination. Puts me in mind of the present Bishop of London who, because he is opposed to the idea of ordaining women as priests performs no ordinations at all, leaving that to his suffragans.

[DTCwordfan]

Apart from Owens, Hitler refused to acknowledge the successes of other Black athletes and they won 14 out of the 56 medals on offer, also those of Jewish stock were verboten - indeed they even replaced a Wermacht officer at the last minute in the Games who was determined to be Jewish. The athlete later committed suicide over the snub.

[naomi24]

I’m just reporting what was said on QI.

This from here:

http://www.comedy.co....e/tv/qi/episodes/9/2/

//The international head of state who snubbed Jesse Owens after his triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympics was the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is commonly believed that he was snubbed by Adolf Hitler, but this is not the case. On the first day of the Games Hitler only congratulated German winners. Someone then told Hitler that he should either congratulate all the winners or none at all, so Hitler refused to congratulate anyone. Owens claimed in his autobiography: "When I passed the Chancellor, he arose, waved his hand at me and I waved back at him. Hitler didn't snub me; it was FDR who snubbed me. The President didn't even send me a telegram. When I came back to my native country, I couldn't ride at the front of the bus, I had to go to the back door, I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I certainly wasn't invited the White House to shake hands with the President either." Owens won four gold medals at the Games, but despite this he had to use the goods lift at the Waldorf Astoria to get into the reception for returning US athletes as he was not allowed to use the front door.//

[ABerrant]

Carl Diem created the tradition of the Olympic torch relay from Athens to the host city for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Diem

[d9f1c7]

The Torch relay was a Nazi innovation though.