One of the most well known
and outstanding athletes in the history of sports,
Owens was born in September 1913, in Danville,
USA. When he was nine years old, his family
moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where his name was
changed from ‘James’ to ‘Jesse’.
He began his career as
an athlete at the tender age of thirteen, when
he ran his first track and field race.
By the time he
was in high school, he was already a national
level sprinter. He then went to the Ohio State
University. One day Jesse slipped and fell down
a flight of stairs, injuring his back. He was
laid up in bed for an entire week.
In the Big Ten track meet, Jesse did not withdraw;
rather, on the afternoon of May 25, 1935, he
participated in the meet. He even set the world
record for the 100-yard dash and broke a twenty-five
year old world record for the broad jump.
He also set a
new record for the 220-yard dash and the 200-metre
dash. He broke the world record for both the
220-yard low hurdles and the 200-metre low hurdles.
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JESSE OWENS (1913-1980)
