University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
Women’s Basketball Visits Historic Berlin Olympic Stadium, Heads to Munich
August 28, 2023 | Women's Basketball
BERLIN, Germany – UCLA Women's Basketball went on a guided tour of the Olympiastadion Berlin Sunday, taking in the historic site of the 1936 Olympic Games.
The group made its way to the main entrance of the Olympiapark Berlin, the Olympic Gate. The Bruins began their tour next to the 35-meter-high towers that suspend Olympic rings between them.
The outside façade of the stadium is the original concrete, and the stadium inside is built down into the ground to create a massive outdoor arena. The stadium was constructed between 1934-1936 by the Nazi Party. Olympiastadion Berlin is now home to the German football club Hertha Berlin, which has occupied the stadium since 1988.
At its conception, the stadium was lined with benches that were believed to seat 100,000 spectators inside. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 75,000 for sporting events.
The Bruins got a tour of the VIP lounge before walking out onto a balcony with seating that overlooks the whole stadium from the midfield line. They were originally wooden chairs but had been modernized and replaced with comfortable padded seats. While the three-meter catwalk no longer existed, there was a small protrusion – a one-meter portion of floor in the middle of the section – that extended beyond the railing and front ledge. The head of UCLA's tour noted this is where the leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler, held speeches and sat during the 1936 Olympic Games.
Also, according to the group's tour guide, the Bruins learned that Ally forces specifically did not destroy the stadium because it served as a large, visible landmark for fighter pilots to use when flying over Berlin. Little did they know, however, that there were underground tunnels with four-meter-thick reinforced concrete walls that housed the production and shipment of weapons for the Second World War.
While inside the stadium, the Bruins also saw a lounge dedicated to the American track and field legend Jesse Owens. Owens dominated the 1936 Games, claiming four gold medals in the summer competition. He also became lifelong friends with German long jumper Luz Long; the Long and Owens families still meet at the stadium once a decade to walk and remember that relationship in hopes to honor and carry on the legacy of those track athletes.
The Olympiastadion Berlin has hosted other important track and field meets throughout its history, including the 2009 IAAF World Championships. "I'm geeking out," said graduate forward Camryn Brown. Brown, a huge track and field fan, was in awe that UCLA women's basketball was in the same place where Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set the world record marks in the 100m and 200m races at the 2009 meet. "Those records will never be broken," said the Texas native.
The Bruins headed to Munich, Germany, via high-speed rail on the morning of Aug. 28 for the final leg of their summer foreign tour. UCLA will spend three days in the hometown of redshirt junior Emily Bessoir before returning to Los Angeles.
As always, continue to follow the Bruins on social media for updates and more insights during the trip!
The group made its way to the main entrance of the Olympiapark Berlin, the Olympic Gate. The Bruins began their tour next to the 35-meter-high towers that suspend Olympic rings between them.
A peek into our tour of the historic Olympic Stadium in Berlin! ???#GoBruins x #BruinSummerTour pic.twitter.com/6o1NmP8ViK
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) August 27, 2023
The outside façade of the stadium is the original concrete, and the stadium inside is built down into the ground to create a massive outdoor arena. The stadium was constructed between 1934-1936 by the Nazi Party. Olympiastadion Berlin is now home to the German football club Hertha Berlin, which has occupied the stadium since 1988.
At its conception, the stadium was lined with benches that were believed to seat 100,000 spectators inside. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 75,000 for sporting events.
The Bruins got a tour of the VIP lounge before walking out onto a balcony with seating that overlooks the whole stadium from the midfield line. They were originally wooden chairs but had been modernized and replaced with comfortable padded seats. While the three-meter catwalk no longer existed, there was a small protrusion – a one-meter portion of floor in the middle of the section – that extended beyond the railing and front ledge. The head of UCLA's tour noted this is where the leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler, held speeches and sat during the 1936 Olympic Games.
Also, according to the group's tour guide, the Bruins learned that Ally forces specifically did not destroy the stadium because it served as a large, visible landmark for fighter pilots to use when flying over Berlin. Little did they know, however, that there were underground tunnels with four-meter-thick reinforced concrete walls that housed the production and shipment of weapons for the Second World War.
While inside the stadium, the Bruins also saw a lounge dedicated to the American track and field legend Jesse Owens. Owens dominated the 1936 Games, claiming four gold medals in the summer competition. He also became lifelong friends with German long jumper Luz Long; the Long and Owens families still meet at the stadium once a decade to walk and remember that relationship in hopes to honor and carry on the legacy of those track athletes.
The Olympiastadion Berlin has hosted other important track and field meets throughout its history, including the 2009 IAAF World Championships. "I'm geeking out," said graduate forward Camryn Brown. Brown, a huge track and field fan, was in awe that UCLA women's basketball was in the same place where Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set the world record marks in the 100m and 200m races at the 2009 meet. "Those records will never be broken," said the Texas native.
Views from yesterday's tour of @Oly_Berlin! ????#GoBruins x #BruinSummerTour pic.twitter.com/XvLZvcPFhj
— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) August 28, 2023
The Bruins headed to Munich, Germany, via high-speed rail on the morning of Aug. 28 for the final leg of their summer foreign tour. UCLA will spend three days in the hometown of redshirt junior Emily Bessoir before returning to Los Angeles.
As always, continue to follow the Bruins on social media for updates and more insights during the trip!
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