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somewhat defended by some of the most powerful members of the IOC in their
obsession to ensure that the Games were not cancelled.
The strongest opposition to holding the Games came from the USA. Ernest
Jahncke, IOC Member in the USA, violently opposed American participation. He
sought a confrontation with Avery Brundage, the President of the USA
Olympic Committee. In 1935 Hitler proclaimed the Nuremberg Laws which made
Jews sub-humans. Jahncke then intensified his campaign to withdraw USA
participation. One of the other American IOC members, General Charles Sherill,
assured the American Jews of his support to maintain racial equality. But
widespread discrimination against Jewish athletes continued in Germany.
Count Henri de Baillet-Latour, the President of the IOC, saw Jahncke as
a traitor for not accepting Hitler's assurance that the Olympic Charter will be
observed and asked Jahncke to resign from the IOC. Jahncke refused. However,
at the IOC Session held just prior to the Games Jahncke, the lone IOC dissenter,
was expelled, by a vote of 49-0. In Jahncke's place the IOC elected Avery
Brundage.
The Berlin Games themselves were marred by incidents of racism. The ten
black members of the USA track and field team were dubbed "Black Auxiliaries"
by the German propaganda machine. Black American Jesse Owens, who won
four gold medals at the Berlin Games, although shunned by the German Regime
was nevertheless a great favourite with the majority of the German fans.
The Olympic politics continued after the war on the question of the two
Germanys. Thereafter began the Cold War politics, which culminated in mass
boycotts of the Olympic Games of Moscow (1980) and Los Angeles (1984).
Apartheid South Africa's re-entry in Mexico in 1968 was aborted by the threat
of a mass boycott of the Games. Rhodesia was expelled from the Munich Games
in 1972, again because of racism.
In recent history only the Games of 1992, 1996 and 2000 were free of direct
political problems.
Amateurism
The Modern Games as envisaged by Coubertin were the exclusive participatory
property of amateur sportsmen.
During the Games of Antiquity there was no eligibility clause on the occupational
status of the athletes. The City States often sponsored their top athletes
and many competed at several competitions and received peripheral rewards.
Whether the Modern Games were ever truly amateur is debatable. However,
after the Olympic Games of Stockholm, Jim Thorpe became the first victim of
amateurism. Jim Thorpe won the Decathlon and Pentathlon in Stockholm - a total
of 15 events. Besides his two gold medals, King Gustav V of Sweden presented
Thorpe with a bronze bust and a jewelled model of a Viking ship for his triumphs.
In 1913 Thorpe was accused of having been a professional athlete when
he competed in the Olympics. Thorpe did admit that he was offered a meagre
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