ATHLETICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 270, 28 August 1935, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

CAREER OF JESSE OWENS.

ATHLETE’S RISE TO FAME. It is odd, as John Kieran writing ‘in the New York “Times” says, how some of the great athletes have made their way in spite of initial handicaps and difficulties. Kieran gives some interesting particulars of American athletes who have triumphed in this way, and also devotes some interesting lines to Jesse Owens, the coloured athlete, who has been the outstanding sprinter in America this summer. America, of course, is not alone as a nation which has produced champions who have overcome physical disabilities. New Zealand lias had such champions, though, perhaps through lack of opportunity and adequate facilities, they have not been able to reach -world class. But they have been champions in their own country, nevertheless. Ray Ewry of the old days, writes Kieran, was an invalid, almost a cripple, as a. youngster. He took to exercising under the doctor’s orders, just for the benefit of his health. He won 10 Olympic jumping titles.. Glenn Cunningham had his legs badly burned in a schoolhouse fire when lie was a youngster. For years he had to be careful; lie wasn’t allowed in rough games like football. He had to play by himself. So he took up running. Jack Lovelock broke a leg at Rugger. That was the end of his career as a Rugger player, and it also looked like the end of any career he might have ahead of him on the track. But he found out in due time that he still could run. Jesse ran the low hurdles in record time at Ann Arbor, and then, with his first and last jumping effort of the afternoon, set the running broad mark some eight inches beyond the world’s record of Chuliei Nambu, of far-off Nippon. It is true that a fairly tall sprinter has a good start as a hurdler and broad jumper. There have been plenty such in the past, but there never was a Jesse Owens until now.

Possibly Ralph Metcalfe will beat Jesse to the tape in one or both sprint events in the national championships at Lincoln, Nebraska. Ralph is another of the remarkable set of negro sprinters in this era. But until Ralph does that and then tucks such trifles as a low hurdle record and a new running broad jump record to go with it, Cleveland will still be waving flags and sending up cheers for its home' hero, Jesse Owens. A Gilven Name. Like Joe Louis of fistic fame, Jesse Owens has just come of age, and is travelling with a slightly revised name. The full name of Shufflin’ Joe is Joseph Louis Barrow. He dropped the Barrow part after his first fight as an amateur. He took such a walloping that he didn’t want his family to have to bear any future burden of shame. A needless procedure, as it turned out. But Joe meant well. The revision in the name of Jesse Owens was ihore or less accidental. “Jesse” is the given name, but it was the gift of a stranger and not the donation of his parents. It is so long since he has been called anything but Jesse that even the family sponsors forget whether they started him off in life as James Cleveland or Grover Cleveland Owens. His father’s name is Cleveland Owens. The youngster grew up and still has his home in Cleveland. If they made it Grover Cleveland Owens, the youngster had the benefit of a triple play, being named after liis father, his home city, and a former President of the United States.

But when the youngster first went to school and was asked his name by the teacher, lie gave the first part by initials only. He doesn’s remember whether he said “J.C.” or “G-.C.,” but it didn’t matter because the teacher translated it as “Jesse,” and that’s'tlie way it reads on the scroll of fame.