When Jesse Owens jumped 25 feet at the 1936 Berlin Games, he won a gold medal and made a friend. After two foul jumps Owens was one away from disqualifying himself in the long jump. Lutz Long, his German competitor, stepped in and advised Owens to begin his jump from a spot several inches behind the line. Owens beat Long and set a world record in the event. Long was the first to congratulate him. Owens said, "You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn't be a plating on the 24-karat friendship that I felt for Lutz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace." Owen's quadruple gold medal performance made him a track legend, but it was his friendship with Long that perfectly captured the ideals and goals of the Olympic movement.
The Games is more than a two-week sports competition held every four years. It is an international movement whose goal is to help build a peaceful and better world. This is accomplished by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination, and in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
At the head of this movement is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), created by the Paris Congress on June 23 in 1884. The IOC's role is to promote Olympism, and its values of education, cultural diversity, friendship, excellence, peace, fairness, respect, human development and leadership in accordance with the Olympic Charter, which governs the games and its movement.
The IOC is only one of myriad participants in the movement. Those participants range from a six-year old girl taking her first gymnastics class, to the organizing committees of the 2008 Beijing Games, 2010 Vancouver Games, and 2012 London Games. Others include National and International sports federations, National Olympic Committees, International and Local Sponsors, and the media. All of these participants must agree to be guided by the Olympic charter.
According to the IOC, members of the Olympic movement engage in the following activities:
• Promote sport and competitions through the intermediary of national and international sports institutions worldwide.
• Cooperate with public and private organizations to place sport at the service of mankind.
• Assist in developing "Sport for All".
• Advancing women in sport at all levels and in all structures, with a view to achieving equality between men and women.
• Oppose all forms of commercial exploitation of sport and athletes.
• The fight against doping.
• Promoting sports ethics and fair play.
• Raise awareness of environmental problems.
• Support the financial and educational development of developing countries through the IOC institution Olympic Solidarity.