Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913-March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Owens was most accomplished in sprinting and long jump events; he was recognized in his lifetime as "perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history".[1] He set three world records and tied another in less than an hour at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan; this has been called "the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport"[2] and has never been equaled. At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Owens won four gold medals: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 Ã 100 meter relay. He was the most successful athlete at the games and as was credited with "single-handedly crush[ing] Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy."[3]
In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford awarded Owens the highest honor an American civilian can receive, the Medal of Freedom. [1]
"Perhaps no athlete better symbolized the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry. His personal triumphs as a world-class athlete and record holder were the prelude to a career devoted to helping others. His work with young athletes, as an unofficial ambassador overseas, and a spokesman for freedom are a rich legacy to his fellow Americans". President James Carter. [2]
External links
Further reading
- Jeremy Schaap, Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics, (2007) 272 pp.
References
- â Litsky, Frank (1980). Jesse Owens Dies Of Cancer at 66. Retrieved on March 23, 2014.
- â Rothschild, Richard (May 24, 2010). Greatest 45 minutes ever in sports. Retrieved on March 23, 2014.
- â Schwartz, Larry (2000). Owens Pierced A Myth. ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 6, 2000.