The Olympic silver medal won by Germany's Lutz Long, behind Jesse Owens in the long jump at Berlin 1936, has sold for a record sum ©SCP Auctions

The Olympic silver medal won by Luz Long, the German long jumper who befriended Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games in Berlin, has been sold at auction for nearly half-a-million dollars.

The final sum of $488,435 (£429,271/€490,0660) was a record for an Olympic silver medal, SCP Auctions claimed.

Long walked arm in arm through the Olympic Stadium in the German capital with Owens to celebrate their victories while Adolf Hitler watched from the stands.

The family of the long jumper, who was killed in World War Two in 1943 during the Allied invasion of Italy, decided to auction the medal and other collectables.

The Californian-based SCP Auctions labelled the Luz collection as the "Beacon of Hope."

A total of 20 bids were made for the medal, which had attracted a significant amount of worldwide media attention.

“These world-record results showcase the amazing story of Luz Long, the most courageous Olympian,” David Kohler, the President of SCP Auctions, said.

Long cemented himself in Olympic history during Berlin 1936 when he was the first to congratulate Owens on his triumph in the long jump.

Jesse Owens, centre, revealed that Germany's Lutz Long, right, offered a valuable piece of advice during qualifying for the long jump which helped him win four Olympic gold medals at Berlin 1936 ©Getty Images
Jesse Owens, centre, revealed that Germany's Lutz Long, right, offered a valuable piece of advice during qualifying for the long jump which helped him win four Olympic gold medals at Berlin 1936 ©Getty Images

Later Owens and Lutz walked around the Olympic Stadium together and posed for pictures.

Owens told of how Long approached him after he fouled on his first two attempts in the preliminary round.

With only one more try to make the final, Owens revealed that Long suggested he take off a foot in front of the board, to assure he would not foul on his last try.

Owens took that advice and went on to win the title - one of four he captured in Berlin - with a then-Olympic record jump of 8.06 metres.

"It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me," Owens said years later.

"You can melt down all the medals and cups I have, and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment.

"Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace."

Numerous other items from Long’s athletic career were also sold in the auction including his signed 1936 Olympic Games athlete identification card, which sold for over $6,600 (£5,800/€6,600)and his participant's medal, which netted $4,147 (£3,644/€4,160).