Gliding at the 1936 Summer Olympics

The IOC allowed for two demonstration sports to be held at the 1936 Olympics. One of these was reserved for a national sport, specific to the host nation, but unknown internationally, and one for an international sport, but unknown in the host nation. Although not a strictly national sport, gliding was chosen by the German organizers as the national demonstration sport. Gliding was a fairly developed sport in Germany at the time, which was partially due to the fact that the Treaty of Versailles had forbidden Germany to form an air force (which it did form after Hitler’s becoming chancellor in 1933).

The demonstration of gliding was successful in as far that, in 1938, the IOC added gliding to the program as an optional sport. Gliding appears on the preliminary program of the 1940 Olympics to be held in Helsinki, but the outbreak of the Winter War in 1939 and World War II in 1939-1940 meant these Olympics were never held. The sport remained on the list of optional sports through 1956, when the IOC decided to abolish that list. None of the organizers through 1956 had elected to host gliding events. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which was formed following the 1905 Olympic Congress, is presently recognized by the IOC, but none of its disciplines (which include gliding) appear to be close to Olympic inclusion.