Jesse Owens Research Paper

James Cleveland (Jesse) Owens born September 12, 1913 in Oakville, AL, was an American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalists. Jesse specialized in sprints and the long jump. He was identified in his lifetime as “perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history.” He has set three world records and tied another in less than an hour at the Big Ten track meet in 1935. In 1936 at the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Jesse won fame internationally with four gold medals. He was the most successful athlete participating in track and field. The highest award for the year’s best track and field athlete, the Jesse Owens Award, is named after him. He was ranked by ESPN as the sixth greatest North American athlete and the highest ranked in his sport.

He set Junior High School records by clearing 6 feet in the high jump and leaping 22 feet 11 ¾ inches in the broad jump. While he was in high school he won all of the major track meets he had, including the Ohio State Championship three years in a row. At the 1933 National Interscholastic meet in Chicago he set a new high school record by running the 100 yard dash in 9.4 seconds. He also created a new high school record in the 220 yard dash by running the distance in 20.7 seconds. Jumping 24 feet 11 ¾ inches in the broad jump also was a world record he set. Since he was so remarkable in his high school track career, colleges began recruiting him. He chose Ohio State University even though they could not offer him a scholarship for track at that