JESSE OWENS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 18, 20 July 1935, Page 13

JESSE OWENS

NEW "FASTEST HUMAN

SPECTACULAR TRIUMPHS

A THEORY ADVANCED

Towards the end oj: May the cables Hashed news that at Ana Arbor, Michigan, Jesse Owens, the young Ohio State University negro star, broke three world's records and equalled a fourth at the thirty-filth Western Conference track and field championships. Reports just to hand from America tell something of the great performances of this wonderful athlete and of his style. The one-man feat of record-breaking by Jesse Owens, Ohio State's great negro athlete, this spring has provided many thrills for followers of track and field, writes Joseph M. Sheehan in the "New York Times." The Middle-Westerner's performances are without a close parallel in the annals of track. Briefly, what Owens has done in the past fortnight is this: .Twice equalled Frank Wykoff s world record of 9.4 sec for the 100 yd dash; shattered all listed standards for the 220 wit? a 20.3 sec mark; twice bettered Charley Brookins's universal mark of 23sec,for the 220 yd low hurdles, once with 22.95 ec and again in 22.65 ec, and leaped further than any other human being with a broad jump of 26ft BJin. This is not to mention such performances as 9.ssec and 9.Gsec (twice) for the 100; 21sec, 20.9 sec, and 20.7 sec for the 220; 23.25 ec for the low hurdles, and leaps of 26ft IJin, 25ft 6£in, and 25ft 5 l-16in in the broad jump. OTHER FAMOUS SPRINTERS. A record of such commanding excellence demands explanation. 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. The feats of Howard.Drew, Sol Butler, Ned Gourdin, De Hart Hubbard, Eddie Tolan, and Ed. Gordon of the recent past, and Ralph Metcalfe, Willis Ward, Eulace Peacock, and Ben Johnson, who now on occasion share a place in the sun with Owens, constitute evidence for this hypothesis. From his earliest competitive days Owens has possessed a world of natural ability. It is said that as a junior high school student he could jump more than 23ft and sprint 100 yds in lOsec flat. However, it was not until two years ago that Owens gained more than a local reputation. He scored an unprecedented triple in the 1933 national inter-scholastic championships of the University of Chicago at Stagg Field. Then wearing the colours of East Technical High School of Cleveland he ran the 100 yds in 9.4 sec, the 220 yds in 20.7 sec, and broad jumped 24ft 9 5-Bin. ANNEXED NATIONAL TITLES. These performances were received with scepticism in some quarters. But when he followed them by taking the National AA.U. broad jump title with a leap of 24ft 6 3-Bin and placing third to Metcalfe in the 100 metres, his status as a national track luminary was assured. Last year, as a freshman at Ohio State, Owens came east to the National A.A.U. indoor championships, set a world's mark of 25ft 3,] in for the broad jump, and placed third in the dash. Outdoors he gained the broad jump crown and was a close second to Metcalfe in the sprint. Owens signalised his entrance into university competition by raising his indoor broad-jump mark to 25ft 9J[in, and taking second to Johnson in the indoor national sprint. He went on to win the Big Ten indoor dash title. Pie opened his outdoor campaign by becoming the first American ever to jump 26£t, exceeding that mark by ljin, and ran the 100 in 9.ssec at the Drake relays. Then came the spectacular quadruple triumphs- in the quadrangular meet with Wisconsin, North-western, and Chicago, and in the Big Ten championships. COMING SPRINT CHAMPION. Now, at twenty-one, Owens stands as America's best bid for the 100 and 200 metre and broad-jump titles at the Berlin Olympics (there is no lowhurdles sprint on the Olympic programme). True, he has yet to win a national sprint title, but Owens is the heir apparent to Metcalfe's throne. With a full year to perfect his technique, there is no reason to doubt that he can improve. His coach at Ohio State, Larry Snyder, asserts that Owens will jump more than 27ft when he perfects his take-off. It was reported that he left the ground a full seven inches behind the mark at the Drake relays. It is a beautiful sight to watch Owens sprint. He runs as smoothly as but more gracefully than a welloiled machine. He shows no apparent effort, so well-co-ordinated is his action. There is none of the visible exertion noticeable in other sprinters, as in Metcalfe, for instance, who fairly exudes power as he hurtles down the straightaway. Following is a chronological record

of Owcns's performances in major competition:— J933. National Inter-steholastics, Chicago.— Won 100 in 9.4 sec (equals world's record), 220 in 20.7uec, and broad jump with 24ft 9 5-Bin. National A.A.U. Outdoor, Chicago.— Won broad jump with 24ft 6 3-3 in; third in 100 metre, behind Metcalfe and Jimmy Johnsoitu 193-.L National A.A.U. todoor, New York. —Won broad jump with 25ft 3|in (world's record), thi(rd in 60-metre, behind Metcalfe and ljten Johnson. National A.A.U. Outdoor, Milwaukee. —Won broad jump with 25ft 7-Bin, second to Metcalfe fn 100-metre. 19351 National A.A.U. Ir*loor, New York. —Won broad jump .with 25ft 9Jin (world's record), second to Ben. Johnson in 60-metre. Big Ten Indoor, CSiicago.—Won 60 in 6.lsec (equals worSd's record). Drake Relays.—Won 100 in 9.ssec and broad jump witti, 26ft lj|ia (first American jump over 26ft). Quadrangular Meet, Evanston.—Won 100 in 9.4 sec (equals world's record), 220 in 20.7 sec; 220 low Ifcirdles in 22.65 ec (breaks world's record!), and broad jump with 25ft 5 1-lOxu Big Ten Outdoor, Arm Arbor.—Won 100 in 9.4 sec (equals -world's record); 220 in 20.3 sec (breaks aB records); 220 low hurdles in 22.65ee Cbreaks all records), and broad jump- with 26ft BJin (breaks all records). '