Best All-Time Olympian

The best all-time olympian is an athlete whose athletic achievements were not only spectacular and unparalleled; but who also displayed personal courage in using his athleticism to make an important political statement.


The Olympian I’m talking about is Jesse Owens. Owens was a gold medal winner in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. He was the first American to win four gold medals in track and field events. As an African-American, his performance disproved the Aryan supremacy ideology of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party. And, incredibly Owens did it in Berlin, as that was the site of the 1936 Olympic Games.


Of course, in 1936 the world was tense as Hitler was flexing his muscles throughout Europe. Only 3 years later, WWII began with Germany’s invasion of Poland. So, what an amazing moment in Olympic and sports history Jesse Owens’ victory was. By the way, the fact that Owens beat German athletes caused Hitler to avoid congratulating Owens on his victories.


Jesse Owen 1936 Olympics.
Jesse Owen 1936 Olympics. Thanks to telethon on flickr.com for the picture.


James Cleveland (Jesse) Owens was born in Alabama. He found his passion for running under the guidance of a favorite junior high track coach. When he went to college at Ohio State he won eight NCAA championships and set many records. Although he was welcomed at the track, he still had to eat at "black-only" restaurants and live off-campus.


At the 1936 Games, Hitler and the Nazis believed that African-Americans were inferior and wanted to use the Olympic games to prove it. Obviously, they were completely frustrated in their attempt to show white superiority by Owens’ stellar performance. Hitler refused to attend the medal ceremonies and he was chastised for being selective in which athletes he greeted. The German people however, cheered Owens on. Owens won four gold medals which is something that was not matched until Carl Lewis did it in the 1984 Olympic Games.


Gold medal winner Jesse Owen
Jesse Owen gold medal winner in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Thanks to mharrsch on flickr.com for the picture.


After the Olympic Games, Owens was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. He then found that the lucrative offers he had heard of were not coming to him. He held several jobs including working at a gas station but ran into trouble with the IRS and filed for bankruptcy. Owens spent a lot of time working for underprivileged children. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Carter in 1976.


After being a long-time smoker, Owens died of lung cancer in 1980. He was 66. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The grandson of a slave, Owens made great strides in educating people about bigotry. Those four gold medals, in the face of Hitler’s racial supremacy campaign, became a legend and one of the top moments in Olympic history.


Jesse Owens was an inspiration not just to those in the world of Track and Field, but also to the rest of the world. Not only is Owens one of the athletes who shaped sports history; his actions at the 1936 Berlin Olympics helped shape world history. This is why we name Jesse Owens the best all-time Olympic athlete.


Owens died of lung cancer in 1980
After being a long-time smoker, Owens died of lung cancer in 1980. Thanks to moonrat42 on flickr.com for the picture.





What do you think?

We'd love to hear your comments and/or opinions. If you submit them here, other visitors can read them, rate them and comment on them. An e-mail address is not required.




Best All Time Badminton Player | Best All Time Cross Country Runner | Best All Time Diver | Best All Time Field Hockey Player | Best All Time Gymnast | Best All Time Rowing Team | Best All Time Rugby Player | Best All Time Skier | Best All Time Soccer Player | Best All Time Soccer Team | Best All Time Swimmer | Best All Time Table Tennis Player | Best All Time Tennis Player | Best All Time Track and Field Athlete | Best All Time Volleyball Player | Best All Time Wrestler |


From Best All Time Olympian to Olympic Sports History | Best All Time Sports Blog | History of Professional Football | MLB History | History of NBA | History of Hockey | NCAA Football History | NCAA Basketball History | NCAA Baseball History | History of College Sports | History of All Sports | Best Moments in Sports History | Worst All Time Sports Moment | Current Best All Time Sports News | NFL Football Apparel and Merchandise | MLB Baseball Apparel and Merchandise | NBA Basketball Apparel and Merchandise | NHL Hockey Apparel and Merchandise | College Fan Apparel and Merchandise | Other Sports Fan Apparel and Merchandise | Fathead | Sports Tickets |


Return to Home Page
About Us | Contact Us | Site Search | Advertise | Terms of Use / Privacy Policy |


New! Comments

Leave a comment about this article in the box below and share it with your Facebook friends.

Visit Our eBay Store: Better Display Cases


Like this Site

Subscribe to
Best All-Time


Your First Name


Your E-mail Address

We keep this private.



Follow the Best All-Time Blog.

Like this Page

Visit Our Social Pages

Become a Fan of Best All-Time on Facebook Find Best All-Time on Google+ Follow BestAllTime on Twitter Follow BestAllTime on YouTube