In July of 1928, Luz Long of Leipzig, Germany, joined the esteemed Leipziger Sport Club (LSC) at the age of 15. The club, founded in 1901, was well-respected across Germany for developing world-class athletes in various sports. It was at LSC that Luz was introduced to his beloved “sport teacher” George Richter, who coached Luz all the way through the 1936 Olympics and beyond. In 1930 as a member of LSC, Long began competing in athletics competitions organized by the Verband Mitteldeutscher Ballspiel-Vereine (VMBV) or Central German Association of Ball-Clubs. (VMBV was the regional governing body for organized football/soccer, track & field, and other sports from 1900 through 1933). These track and field meets took place in major cities across Germany at the highest level of competition from each region. Under Richter's strict tutelage, the young German was initially groomed as a decathlete, training in short distance running events and just about every field discipline -- javelin, pole vault, discus, shot put, hammer throw, and all three jumps (high, long and triple).
At the 1933 Central German Association (VMBV) Athletics Championship held in the city of Jena, Germany, on July 23, 1933, Luz Long won the long jump with a mark of 7.32 meters (24 feet) to become Central German Champion. A month later, he would win the 1933 German National Championships at 7.65 meters and set a Saxony state record, putting him in rare company heading into the 1934 European Championships. Here are the details of the medal Long was awarded.
Obverse: “EHREN – PLAKETTE” with VMBV emblem in between; “1933” at center; “I. Pr. Weitspr. 23. VII.” below. (Weitsprung is the German word for long jump.)
Reverse: blank except for “7.32” manually inscribed [presumably] by Luz Long to denote his long jump mark.
Composition: Bronze or high-purity bronze alloy
Dimensions: 42 x 62 mm
Thickness: 2 mm
Weight: 50 g
Provenance: Letter from Luz Long's family