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Jesse Owens rose to prominence as a track and field athlete, overcoming racial discrimination to become one of the greatest sprinters and long jumpers in history.

Jesse Owens: Legendary Track and Field Athlete

 

May 7, 2025

Published by Morris Neilson-Ruiz

 

Early Life and Background

 

Full Name: James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens 

Born: September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama, USA 

Died: March 31, 1980 (aged 66) in Tucson, Arizona 

High School: East Technical High School (Cleveland, Ohio) 

College: The Ohio State University (1933–1936) 

 

Jesse Owens rose to prominence as a track and field athlete, overcoming racial discrimination to become one of the greatest sprinters and long jumpers in history. 

 

Key Career Highlights 

 

High School Career (1928–1933) 

Set multiple high school records in sprinting and the long jump. 

In 1933, he equaled the world record in the 100-yard dash (9.4 seconds) at the National Interscholastic Championships.

 

College Career at Ohio State (1933–1936) 

 

Despite facing racial segregation (he lived off-campus and was not awarded a scholarship initially), Owens dominated collegiate track: 

1935 Big Ten Championships (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – "The Greatest 45 Minutes in Sports" 

 

In just 45 minutes, Owens set three world records and tied a fourth: 

00-yard dash: 9.4 seconds (tied world record) 

Long jump: 26 ft 8¼ in (8.13 m) – a record that stood for 25 years 

220-yard dash: 20.3 seconds (world record) 

220-yard low hurdles: 22.6 seconds (world record) 

 

1936 Berlin Olympics (Nazi Germany) 

 

Owens won four gold medals, defying Adolf Hitler’s propaganda of Aryan supremacy: 

 

1. 100 meters – 10.3 seconds (Olympic record) 

2. Long jump – 8.06 meters (26 ft 5 in) (Olympic record, after advice from German rival Luz Long) 

3. 200 meters – 20.7 seconds (Olympic record) 

4. 4×100 meters relay (with Ralph Metcalfe, Foy Draper, and Frank Wykoff) – 39.8 seconds (world record) 

 

Despite his success, Owens faced racism back in the U.S. and was not invited to the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

 

Post-Olympic Career 

• 1936–1939: Competed in exhibition races, including horse racing against thoroughbreds for publicity. 
• 1939–1940s: Struggled financially, working various jobs, including as a gas station attendant and playground supervisor. 
• 1950s–1960s: Became a public speaker and advocate for youth sports and civil rights. 
• 1976: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Gerald Ford.

 

World Records Held by Jesse Owens 

 

Owens set or tied six world records during his career: 

1. 100-yard dash – 9.4 sec (1933, tied) 

2. Long jump – 8.13 m (1935) 

3. 200-meter dash (straight track) – 20.3 sec (1935) 

4. 220-yard dash (straight) – 20.3 sec (1935) 

5. 220-yard low hurdles – 22.6 sec (1935) 

6. 4×100-meter relay – 39.8 sec (1936, Olympics) 

 

Legacy and Honors 

1980: Named the Greatest Amateur Athlete in History by ESPN. 

1983: Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. 

1990: Posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. 

The Jesse Owens Award is given annually to the top U.S. male and female track and field athletes. 

 

Jesse Owens remains a symbol of athletic excellence, perseverance, and the fight against racism in sports history.

 Track and Field