Gliding at the 1936 Summer Olympics facts for kids
Gliding was a special "demonstration sport" at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. A demonstration sport is shown to the public and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to see if it should become a full Olympic sport later.
Gliding had become very popular in Germany during the 1920s. By 1936, it was well-known in many countries. This made it a good choice to show off at the Olympics.
The IOC did not allow any contests or prizes for demonstration sports. Even though a group called ISTUS (which later became part of the FAI Gliding Commission) wanted to give out awards, they couldn't. However, a pilot from Switzerland named Hermann Schreiber received a gold medal. He earned it for an amazing flight he made across the Alps mountains in 1935.
Gliding Demonstration Event
The gliding demonstration took place at the Berlin-Staaken airfield. This was on August 4, 1936. Pilots from seven different countries took part. These countries were Bulgaria, Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. There were 14 pilots in total who showed their skills.
Lajos Rotter's Amazing Flight
A Hungarian pilot named Lajos Rotter made a very special flight. On the evening of August 10, he announced a big plan. He said he would fly his Nemere glider all the way to Kiel. Olympic sailing events were being held in Kiel.
The next day, he flew his glider to Kiel even though the weather was not good. When he arrived over Kiel, he was about 650 meters (2,130 feet) high. He saluted the Olympic site by doing two loops in the air. Then, he landed at Holtenau Airport. His flight lasted 4 hours and 31 minutes. He had flown 336.5 kilometers (209 miles). This was the longest flight ever made by a glider to a planned destination at that time.
Gliding and Future Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially accepted gliding as an Olympic sport in 1938. This happened at their conference in Cairo, Egypt. Gliding was to be part of the "optional" group of sports. This meant it could be included if the host city chose it.
Gliding was planned to be in the 1940 Summer Olympics. An Olympic glider, called the DFS Olympia Meise, was even chosen in 1939. However, the 1940 Games were canceled. This was because of the start of the Winter War between Finland and Russia. Gliding has not been a full Olympic sport since then.
