subject: Learning About Jesse Owens [print this page] There have been many great runners throughout the history of the world. One of the most recent runners of note was Jesse Owens.
Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. At 25 years of age, Jesse became one of the world renowned track-and-field athletes when he set a record in the running broad jump.
Today, the running broad jump is also known as the long jump. His world record stood for 25 years before it was surpassed by another athlete.
In 1936, Jesse Owens attended the Olympic Games that were being held in Berlin. During this time, Hitler was leading Germany.
Hitler intended to use the Games to prove that the Aryan race was superior. However, Owens severely crippled this belief when he won four gold medals.
Jesse Owens was an African-American. Previous to this amazing feat, Owens attended his high school in Cleveland, Ohio and trained as a track and field athlete.
In 1933, he won three of the events at the National Interscholastic Championships. Two years later on May 25, 1935, Owens equaled the world record for the 100-yard dash at a competition in the University of Michigan.
At the time he was a student at the Ohio State University. The same day he broke the world record for the 220-yard dash, the 220-yard hurdles, and the long jump.
He became one of the main track and field nominees for the Olympics to be held the following year. His amazing feat of four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics became legend.
At the games, he set a new Olympic record for the 100-metre run and a new world record for the 200-metre run. Despite Owens fantastic performance, Hitler refused to shake his hand because he was African American.
By the time Owens won his second medal, Hitler decided to cease the practice of publicly congratulating all of the athletes. The Olympic Committee president had been furious after Hitler had publicly congratulated a few German and Finnish winners even though the German athletes were disqualified from competing later in the day.
He commanded the German leader to either congratulate all of the athletes or none of them. This event soon became known as the 'snub.'
Despite Hitler's example, most of the German public still loved Owens and were amazed at his feats. German long jumper Carl Ludwig ("Luz") Long was one such German.
At one long jump competition, Owens started off pretty poorly. However, with the help of Long, he made a significant comeback.
Owens had thought that what was a practice jump was actually his first attempt. He became flustered as a result and committed a foot-fault on the second attempt.
Long suggested that Owen put a towel in front of the take-off board so he would not foot-fault again. His last jump allowed him to qualify for the finals.
In the end, Owens beat Long and took the gold medal. However, the two became close friends later on.
Following the Olympics where he took the world records, Owens held alone or shared the world record for every sprint event that the International Amateur Athletic Federation recognized as a real event. His story became legendary in the world of track and field.
Owens had met his sweetheart in Fairmount Junior High School in Cleveland at the young age of 15. His sweetheart, Minnie Ruth Solomon was 13 at the time.
After they met, they dated steadily throughout high school. In 1932, their first daughter, Gloria, was born to them.
Three years later in 1935, they finally were married. In the following years, two more daughters were born to them.
Marlene was born in 1939 and Beverly was born in 1940. Jesse and Minnie Owen were together until his death.
After he retired, he devoted his time to boys' guidance activities. He also served the U.S. Department of State by making several goodwill visits to India and East Asia.
Owens also became the secretary of the Illinois State Athletic Commission. His main task in this position was to focus on public relations.
In 1976, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died four years later on March 31, 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona.
After his death, his legend continued to live on. Posthumously, he was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Owen set an example for many track athletes to follow. Today many are inspired to exercise and run because of the many feats he was able to achieve.
