Jesse Owens: A Legacy of Courage, Athletic Triumph & Who Single-handedly Crushed Hitler’s Myth of Aryan Supremacy

James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens (September 12, 1913–March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics.

Owens was known as “perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history” during his career. He specialised in sprints and long jumps. At the 1935 Big Ten track meet at Ann Arbour, Michigan, he set three world records and tied another in less than an hour, a feat that has never been surpassed and has been dubbed “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport”.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he won four gold medals, including 100 metres, long jump, 200 metres, and 4 × 100-meter relay. He was the Games’ most successful athlete, and as a black American, he was praised for “single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy”.

The Jesse Owens Award is USA Track & Field’s top honour for the year’s best track and field athlete. ESPN recognised Owens as the sixth-greatest North American athlete of the twentieth century and the highest-ranked in his sport. In 1999, he was one of six men shortlisted for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Century.

On May 25, 1935, Jesse Owens established four world athletic records. Owens gained track and field immortality in 45 minutes during the Big Ten competition at Ferry Field in Ann Arbour, Michigan, by breaking three world records and tying a fourth. He equalled the world record for the 100-yard dash (9.4 seconds) and set world records in the long jump (26 feet 8+1/4 inches or 8.13 metres, a world record that would last for 25 years), 220 yards (201.2 m) sprint (20.3 seconds), and 220-yard low hurdles (22.6 seconds, becoming the first to break 23 seconds). Both 220-yard marks may have beaten the metric records for 200 metres (flat and hurdles), resulting in two further world records from the identical performances. Richard C. Crepeau, a sports history professor at the University of Central Florida, named these victories in a single day in 2005 as the most spectacular athletic feat since 1850.

Jesse Owens’ participation in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany marked a watershed moment in sports history. The renowned athlete’s route to the games was fraught with controversy and historical significance. Prior to the Olympics, Owens nearly boycotted the event owing to lobbying from the NAACP, who believed that participation in a country that promotes racist views was improper considering the problems that African Americans experience in the United States. However, he eventually competed among other African American athletes following a series of events leading up to the Games. Owens delivered an outstanding performance in Germany. He won four gold medals in the 100m dash, long jump, 200m sprint, and 4x100m relay, gaining international recognition and setting a world record in the long leap. Notably, his achievements contradicted Hitler’s concept of Aryan supremacy, raising concern among Nazi leaders. Despite his amazing exploits, Owens suffered discrimination upon his return to the United States. He was greeted with a ticker-tape parade in New York City, but he was nevertheless subjected to racial segregation in some settings.

The aftermath of his Olympic achievement exposed the complex racial relations that exist in both Germany and the United States. While some sources stated that Hitler purposefully ignored Owens, others, including Owens himself and British witnesses, described Hitler greeting and congratulating the athlete. Back in the United States, Owens’ experiences exposed the sharp disparity between the reception of African American athletes abroad and the structural prejudice that exists in his home country. Despite his global success, Owens’ response at home reflected the ongoing fight for racial equality in that era.

Furthermore, Owens’ political beliefs influenced his post-Olympic activities, as he openly sponsored a Republican candidate and conducted campaign outreach for African American votes, rejecting overtures from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s government. These selections highlighted Owens’ advocacy and the connection between sports and politics at a key time in history.

Finally, Jesse Owens’ historic exploits at the 1936 Summer Olympics were more than just athletic prowess; they represented resilience in the face of discrimination and political control over sporting events. His legacy not only pushed the frontiers of physical achievement but also shed light on the socioeconomic issues that existed in both the United States and Nazi Germany at the time.