Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Sports & Recreation Owens Owens The Olympics, an event where the most physically fit push themselves to the extreme to win against other nations. In 1936, Adolph Hitler and the Nazis held the Olympics in Berlin, Germany. American athletes had a hard time deciding if they should travel to Berlin and take part in the “Nazi Olympics”. The Berlin Olympics was a personal issue for the American team, which included Jesse Owens. He wasn’t sure that he should join the team because of the views that were expressed by the Nazis. Despite this, he had a lot to show the world. He became a track star in Ohio, during his high school years. His high school track Coach Charlie Riley noticed his running ability when he saw him during a PE class, and asked him to join the tack team. When Owens told him he couldn’t make it to after school practices because of his job. The coach personally offered to train him before school started in the morning. Owens agreed and began his training. Jesse also accomplished many goals such as; during his senior year in high school he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.4 seconds, and tied it again in the Interscholastic Championships in Chicago. At the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor on May 25, 1935, Jesse set three world records and tied a fourth. As Jesse went to take his first attempt at the broad jump, he first put a handkerchief at 26 feet 2½ inches, the distance of the world record. He went back then started his run, he soared to a distance of 26 feet 8¼ inches, shattering the old world record by nearly 6 inches. “A big part of Hitler’s superiority ideas, was that his Nazis should rule not just because they were better and smarter, but because they were stronger and healthier,” said Owens. By taking part in the games, black Americans would show racists everywhere how wrong they were. Owens and other black Olympians finally decided to go and participate in what was called the “Hitler Olympics.” These games were to be held in Nazi Germany. Hitler wanted to prove to the world that the “Aryan” people were the dominant race. So he tried to prove his beliefs in the Olympics, so the whole world could see it for their own eyes. In the 100-meter dash there were twelve preliminary rounds, which were all to be ran the first day of competition. In order to advance from there the top two runners of each race will go on to the semi-final. Owens’s was scheduled to run in the last round, which was good for him because it let him see what he would have to race against if he made it to the finals. Jesse Owens didn’t have to worry much about opposing team members very much with his speed. In the running broad jump, each athlete had three tries to qualify for the event. When Owens took a practice run, judges counted that as his first attempt. On his second try, he stepped over the front edge of the takeoff board. The judges called a foul. He was nervous that he would not make this final attempt. Being a good sport, Luz Long, a blond-haired, blue-eyed German jumper (the typical Aryan race member), came up to Owens and commented on something. Long suggested that Owens place, a back foot marker on the foul line. That way, he would not over run the takeoff board. In the finals, Owens watched Long take his first jump. His jump was the same distance as Owens second jump. The two jumpers kept competing each other for the gold medal. Finally it was down to one jump, Long committed a foul, so that automatically left Owens with the gold medal. Even though it was an automatic win, Owens wanted to make his last jump memorable. So he gave it his all and set a new Olympic and World record of a jump that measured 8.06 meters (26 feet 8 ¼ inches). After he landed, Long was the first one to congratulate him. The next event was the 200-meter dash. Owens’s easily qualified himself into this event. The only problem he faced now was the track conditions. It had been raining on that track the whole night, and they were made of dirt. So the dirt turned to mud, and that made it difficult to run. There were also no starting blocks, like the ones we have now (I painted mine purple and white). The starting blocks back then were holes that were dug into the mud and the athletes placed their feet inside. As well as the previous events, Owens’s won this one, and set a new Olympic and World record to go along with it. The final and last event that Owens’s was going to compete in was the 400-meter relay. The track is 400 meters around, so every 100 meters they pass the baton to the next runner. Owens was the leadoff man because of his ability to run the turns. Metcalfe was waiting for Owens to pass him the baton. His powerful, long legs increased the Americans’ lead. Draper was next, he carried the baton around the curve, and Wykoff stretched first across the finish line. The Americans set a world-record time of 39.8 seconds, and finished about 15 yards in front of everyone. The relay team wanted Owens to stand on the top step of the winners’ platform. But Owens demanded that Metcalfe have the honor. Three times before, Metcalfe had barely missed winning a gold medal. Now Owens wanted Metcalfe to enjoy this moment In these games he went on to win four gold medals; one in the 100-meter dash, one in the 200-meter dash, one in the broad jump, and one with his 400-meter relay team. Owens set world records for all of these events, and became the first American in the history of Olympic Track and Field to win four gold medals in a single day. By the end of the Olympics, all of the German fans were cheering for Owens. Hitler greeted and praised all other gold medal winners from Germany and Finland. But when the African-Americans Cornelius Johnson and Dave Albritton won first and second in the high jump, Hitler left the stadium before the U.S. national anthem finished playing. The Olympic committee told Hitler he had to greet all medal winners or none. After that, Hitler congratulated no one publicly. “We lost no sleep over not being greeted by Adolph Hitler,” said Owens. Jesse Owens is a classic example of American patriotism. He and his team mates would not turn away because the other side didn’t agree with there skin tone. They went into a place where the people first mocked them for being black. Jesse Owens faced them and went beyond. This is why Jesse Owens is one of the best-known athletes to ever grace the earth. The story of him being discovered during a gym class I think is one of the best I have ever heard. He just dazzled people with his speed. His work ethic was unparalleled. He knew what he wanted and he did what ever he had to in order to get it. I have read about Jesse Owens in many different sports books, and every time I learn something new about him. I think that Jesse did all the right things for him self and I admire that a lot, this is why I have chosen Jesse Owens. Bibliography: Jesse Owens home page Word Count: 1273
Copyright © 2005 College Term Papers, INC All Rights Reserved.