Sports history in Black: Jesse Owens

One of the original showstoppers in track and field was Jesse Owens. On this day in 1936, he showed the world why he was considered such an incredible sprinter. 

Jesse Owens, 1936. Photo credit: Library of Congress
Jesse Owens, 1936. Photo credit: Library of Congress

Owens set a record for the 100 meter race, finishing that distance in 10.2 seconds. That record stood for 20 years. No other record for the 100 meter race has stood for that length of time. Today, standout sprinters Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Usain Bolt  are all mentioned more frequently. All were very good sprinters and did great things in track and field history, but none matched the greatness of Jesse Owens.

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