Jesse Owens

By Christine Kotschwar
Who was he?
Jesse Owens was born on September 12th, 1913. He is famous for being one of the best
and most successful athlete at the Olympic Games. He has an award called Jesse Owens Award
which is USA Track and Fields highest accolade for the years best track and field athlete. He
had two nick names which were The Buckeye Bullet and J.C. because he was very skilled
and fast. He also has a movie about him called Race. At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games he
won four gold medals and his long jump world record stood for the next 25 years.
Olympics 1936
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Adolph Hitler and the Nazis were expected to be a German
showcase and a statement for Aryan supremacy. Hitler, criticized America for including black
athletes on its Olympic roster, or team. Ironically, the African-American participants made
Americas success happen, in all winning 11 gold medals, and 6 of them by black athletes.
Owen, got four gold medals for the 100 meter, the long jump, the 200 meter, and the 400 meter
relay, also broke two Olympic records along the way. After Owen won the 100 meter event,
Hitler stormed out of the stadium (some reports say that Hitler later congratulated the athlete on
his success). Answering one of the questions I was assigned. Adolph Hitler was the dictator that
told Owen that the Aryans where a superior race, then Owen proved him wrong by winning 4
gold medals for the American Olympic Team.

Accomplishments
Jesse Owens managed to set several high school track records with the long jump
and sprints. He set 3 world records at the Olympics 1936. He had success at the Big ten
championship which then gave him the courage to take part in the 1936 Olympic Games. In
these games he became the first American track & field athlete to win four gold medals in a
single Olympiad. Later others have went on to get more medals with him but Jesse Owens
Remained the most remembered Olympic athlete because he achieved what no one has ever did
before him. He is now known as one of the greatest athletes of his time.