OWENS’S ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCES

Evening Star, Issue 22455, 28 September 1936, Page 6

OWENS’S ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCES

AMERICAN'S BEAUTIFUL CO-ORDINATION HOLDER OF THREE OLYMPIC TITLES “It is a beautiful sight; to watcK Owens sprint. He runs as snioothly but more gracefully than-a well-oiled machine. There is no apparent, effort, so well co-ordinated is his action.” That is one pen picture of Jesse Owens, the 22-year-old American negro who flashed spectacularly to the front in the final of the Olympic 100 metres, at Berlin, and then further astonished, the world by winning the 200 metres and the broad jump. To-day this amazing athlete holds not only three Olympic titles, but also the word’s record for the 200yds low hurdles. Here is another taken from a report of the last American athletic championships : “ Owens was hot to-day, hot in every thing he tried. Before the final of the national 100 metres he took one leap in the board jump for 26ft lin; and then, after winning the sprint final, ho returned to jump 26ft 2in, equalling the .championship mark set by Enlace Peacock in 1935.” Owens first become world’s news by breaking three world’s records 1 and equalling a fourth at the Western Conference track and field championships in America, last year. Briefly, what Owens did within a fortnight was this.: -Twice equalled Frank Wykoff’s world record of 9.4 sec in the 100yds dash; shattered all listed standards for the 220yds, with, a .20.{3scc .-apart world’s record of 23sec. jor low hurdles, once with 22.9s l eCiand again in 22.65ec; and leaped further than any other human being with ar broad,, jump of 26ft BJin. * . These performances were virtually repeated at a big meeting at Colombus, Ohio, in May of this year.' Owens was timed to run the 220yds in-20-lseci, a new American record. After that: he won the broad jump with 25ft Tin, and also carried off the 100yds sprint and the 220yds low hurdles with ease. In the American, amateur athletic championships this year, just prior to the Olympic Games, Owens achieved his first American sprint title with a smashing 2yd triumph over Ralph Metcalfe, and went on to equal another championship record with his broad* jump of 26ft 2in. This was the only, double of the meeting. ■ . ‘ fi That,- coupled with his-Olympic wins, bears out the contention that Jesse Owens is the most astounding athlete the world has ever seen. The only possible parallel is the never-tiring Paavo Nurmi, prince of long-distance runners, who at one time also made- a habit of breaking world’s records. _ -v From his earliest competitive days Owens has possessed a wealth of natural ability. It is said that as a junior high, school student, he .could jump more than 23ft and sprint 100yds in lOsec dead.' A theory has been advanced that >. through some physical characteristic- of the race involving the bone and muscle construction of the foot and leg the negro is ideally adapted to the sprints and jumping events.