Berlin ’36

Gretel travels to the United Kingdom to continue her high jump career after Nazi racial laws prevent her training in Germany. She wins the high jump championships there, establishing her international reputation. The victory demonstrates her ability to compete at the highest level even while exiled from her homeland.

Because she is Jewish, Nazi racial laws bar Gretel from training in Germany. Her father arranges for her to live and train in England to stay safe and maintain her athletic momentum. The move shows how politics intrudes on sport and personal safety.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, American officials and the IOC pressure the Nazis to guarantee that Jewish athletes are not excluded from competition. A Jewish champion would be a humiliation to the regime, placing the Nazi organizers in a difficult position. The episode heightens Gretel's precarious status within the German team.

Threats against her family in Germany prompt Gretel to return home and join the German Olympic squad. She appears to have equal rights in the training camp, but political pressure fuses with personal risk. The line between safety and coercion becomes increasingly blurred.

Hans Waldmann, the team coach, is impressed by Gretel's skill and discipline and adopts a policy of fair, sportsmanlike training. He treats her as an equal and judges performance by merit rather than politics. His integrity stands in quiet contrast to the regime's meddling.

Nazi officials dismiss Waldmann and replace him with Sigfrid Kulmbach, a coach loyal to the party. Kulmbach begins an aggressive effort to discourage Gretel and undermine her confidence. The power shift shows sport becoming a ground for political control.

Gretel's roommate and only serious rival, Marie Ketteler, is revealed to be a man. The Nazis intend to use Marie to seize the gold medal in high jump. Gretel senses manipulation and navigates a dangerous, manufactured rivalry.

Despite outside pressure and the threat from authorities, Gretel and Marie form a bond based on mutual resistance to the Nazi regime. Their unlikely friendship becomes a quiet beacon of solidarity in a hostile setting. They share moments of trust even as the political climate tightens.

Gretel is excluded from the competition on false pretenses, replaced by Marie just days before the Games. The move shows the regime's direct interference in Olympic selection. Gretel watches in disbelief as the system consolidates control.

Marie displays odd behaviors—rarely bathing with teammates, shaving her legs repeatedly, and a deep voice that hints at his hidden identity. Gretel realizes Marie's true gender and the ulterior motive behind the selection. The rivalry takes on a new, sharpened edge.

Facing a tainted field, Marie decides to deliberately miss the final leap, denying Gretel a chance at a fair victory. The act undercuts the Nazi plan to showcase German athletic supremacy. It becomes a quiet stand against oppression through sport.

Marie finishes in fourth place as Gretel watches from the stands, exchanging a secret, hopeful smile with her rival. The outcome undermines the Nazis' propaganda and signals a subtle victory of integrity over coercion. Their shared opposition underscores the power of individual choices in the face of tyranny.