"As a gymnast at the closing ceremony of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin she witnessed one of the most notorious scenes in the Games’ history. Hildegard Fraser had just turned 13 and had no idea why Adolf Hitler had refused to shake the hand of black athlete Jesse Owens, who had just won four gold medals. Now, 76 years on, German-born Mrs Fraser is looking forward to her second Olympics – this time as a torch carrier in a ceremonial procession to mark the 2012 Games in London." London 2012 Olympics: Gymnast who witnessed Hitler and Jesse Owens 1936 fiasco to take part in Games | Mail Online
With all due respect to Hildegard Fraser, her memory is flawed. Hitler did snub one African-American, but it wasn't Jesse Owens. The Snub Myth Hitler did shun a black American athlete at the 1936 Games, but it wasn't Jesse Owens. On the first day of the Olympics, just before Cornelius Johnson, an African American althlete who won the first gold medal for the U.S. that day, was to receive his award, Hitler left the stadium early. (The Nazis later claimed it was a previously scheduled departure.) Prior to his departure, Hitler had received a number of winners, but Olympic officials informed the German leader that in the future he must receive all of the winners or none at all. After the first day, he opted to acknowledge none. Jesse Owens had his victories on the second day, when Hitler was no longer in attendance. Would Hitler have snubbed Owens if he had been in the stadium on day two? Perhaps. But since he wasn't there, he didn't. Goto: German Myth 10: Hitler and Jesse Owens - Who snubbed whom?
I remember reading somewhere else that Hitler was only inviting German athletes to the box to shake their hands, and the Olympic Committee responded by informing him of the all or none requirement, and since he didn't wish to shake the hands of anyone but German athletes, white, black, brown or (horror of horrors) a Jew he opted for none.