Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens, full name James Cleveland Owens (1913-80). US Black athlete. Born in Alabama, the son of poor farmers, Owens showed remarkable athletic abilities from an early age. In May 1935, at an event in Michigan, he beat or equalled six world records during the space of an hour. The long-jump record he set . that day was not beaten for 25 years. In 1936 he won four gold medals (100 metres, 200 metres, 4 x 100 metres relay, and long jump) at the Berlin Olympics, much to the displeasure of Hitler, who apparently left the stadium to avoid congratulating the Black athlete. After returning to the US, financial pressures obliged him to turn professional, thus ensuring his absence from major competition.
