WATERTOWN, NY (July 9, 2024) – The 2024 Olympics in Paris gets underway on July 26th and WPBS has put together a selection of historical documentaries that will boost your Olympic Spirit! Programs Include:
Boys of “36: American Experience (Tuesday, July 9 at 9 pm)
Explore the thrilling story of the American rowing team that triumphed at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.
Runner (Sunday, July 21 at 1 pm)
When he was only eight, Guor Mading Maker ran from captivity in war-torn Sudan to eventually seek safety in the US. Maker experienced a difficult and triumphant journey, going from refugee to a world-renowned athlete.
Olympic Pride: American Prejudice (Sunday, July 21 at 2:30 pm)
Explore the collective experiences of 18 African-American Olympians who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin
Hitler’s Olympics (Sunday, July 21 at 4 pm)
The complete story of the Berlin games – the early plans, the Nazi takeover, the purge of Jews from German athletics and the grand spectacle itself.
Jessie Owens: American Experience (Sunday, July 21 at 5 pm)
The story of the 22-year-old son of a sharecropper who triumphed over adversity to become a hero and world champion.
Gods of Tennis, Part 1 Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe In 1975 (Tuesday, July 23 at 9 pm)
Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe are fighting to become Wimbledon champions.
Gods of Tennis, Part 2 Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe (Tuesday, July 30 at 9 pm)
The fierce rivalry between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe brings glamour to Centre Court.
Gods of Tennis, Part 3 Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert (Tuesday, August 6 at 9 pm)
Cold War suspicions surround Martina Navratilova as she dominates Wimbledon but struggles to be as adored as her rival Chris Evert.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 600,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Download the free WPBS Mobile App to follow WPBS on the go.
