Black American athlete who won gold was one of the 1924 Paris Olympics’ firsts

Keir Simmons is chief international correspondent for NBC News, based in Dubai.

PARIS — A century ago, at a small stadium just outside Paris, a college track and field star from Ohio named William DeHart Hubbard took a dramatic leap forward for himself and for all African Americans back home in the segregated United States of America. By defeating the best long jumpers in the world at the 1924 Paris Olympics, Hubbard became the first Black athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Games.

Among other things, they were the first Games to be broadcast on the radio, enabling listeners around the world to experience some of the unfolding drama and glory, as well as the pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympic Stadium in Colombes, where Hubbard competed. The main antenna was atop the Eiffel Tower. They were also the first games to have an Olympic village where the athletes could stay; it even included a post office, a hair salon and a restaurant.

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