Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in track and field history, Jesse Owens became a legend of the sport and transcended the game for years to come.
His greatest accomplishment came in 1935 at a Big Ten track meet in Michigan. Owens set 3 world records in under an hour and tied another. This accomplishment has become known as “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport.”
Just one year later, at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, Owens won 4 gold medals in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, the long jump and as a member of the USA 4×100 meter relay team. He was the first American track athlete to win 4 gold medals in a single Olympics.
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