Jesse Owens' Olympic triumph over time and Hitlerism

Ebony, April, 1996 by Lerone Bennett, Jr.

Meanwhile, there were other indications that the Games were not going to follow Hitler's script. On the opening day, Jesse Owens set a world record of 10.2 seconds in a trial heat of the 100-meter dash. Although the record was later disallowed because of a favoring wind, it was obvious from that moment on that that was going to be Jesse Owens' Olympics, not Hitler's. It is interesting--and refreshing--to note that the German crowds anticipated this verdict by abandoning Nazi orthodoxy and cheering Owens.

The next day, Monday, Aug. 3, dawned with gray skies and intermittent rain. Despite the adverse weather conditions, Owens captivated the crowd with a dazzling performance in the 100-meter dash final. Competing against his fellow Black American, future Congressman Ralph Metcalfe, and four other sprinters, Owens "ripped out of his starting holes," an eyewitness said, "as though slung by a giant catapult," and led from the first stride. Metcalfe, the last sprinter to leave the line, managed by superhuman effort to pass all runners except Owens, who won by a yard and tied the world record of 10.3 seconds.

Because of the dominant role of Owens and other Black Americans, the following day was dubbed "Black Tuesday." Owens opened this day by winning his morning 200-meter heat in 21.1 seconds, a world record for that distance around a turn. Fresh from this triumph, he strolled over to the pit for the qualifying rounds of the broad jump. Since he held the world record, qualification was considered a mere formality. But it didn't happen that way. Owens, still wearing his jersey warm-up suit, ran down the runway and continued through the pit, making no attempt to jump. Although he was obviously testing conditions, a red flag went up, signaling a foul. On his second try he faulted, allegedly overstepping the mark. The atmosphere now turned tense. For the greatest broad jumper in the world was only one jump away from disqualification at a distance that was child's play for him. But to the immense relief of U.S. officials, he easily qualified on his third and last jump.

After the luncheon break, Owens continued his one-man Olympics by winning another 200-meter heat in 21.1 seconds. He then returned to the pit for the finals of the broad jump. To his surprise, an unheralded German named Lutz Long matched him jump for jump. Everything stopped in the stadium as the two men limbered up for the final three jumps. On the first jump of the finals, Owens sailed through the air and broke the Olympic record; Long, inspired perhaps by the presence of Hitler and the frenzied chants of the crowd, vaulted and came down at the same distance. A deep hush fell over the stadium as Owens lined up for his next to last jump. Without a moment's hesitation, he thundered down the runway and leaped 26 feet, 39/64 of an inch, the first 26-foot jump in Olympic History. On his next and last jump, he cleared 26 feet, 5 21/64 inches, establishing a new Olympic record and breaking the old one for the second time that afternoon.