The picture chosen for this report, as seen to the right, is that of Jesse Owens winning the gold medal for the long jump during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Owens, arguably the most famous track and field athlete, went on to win 3 other gold medals amidst the highly controversial status of the Olympics and himself.
Owens was born the son of a sharecropper and grandson of slaves on September 13, 1913. Initially a weak child due to constant bouts of pneumonia and chronic bronchial congestion, he persevered as an athlete and by the time he was in high school had begun to break records in various track and field events. Later attending Ohio State University, where he was given the nickname “Buckeye Bullet”, he excelled and went on to set three world
Owens was born the son of a sharecropper and grandson of slaves on September 13, 1913. Initially a weak child due to constant bouts of pneumonia and chronic bronchial congestion, he persevered as an athlete and by the time he was in high school had begun to break records in various track and field events. Later attending Ohio State University, where he was given the nickname “Buckeye Bullet”, he excelled and went on to set three world