Jesse Owens Captivated

JESSE OWENS CAPTIVATED crowds with his performance in the 100 meters in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. But even though Owens earned a gold medal and set an Olympic record, German leader Adolph Hitler refused to acknowledge his accomplishments.

Owens, an Alabama sharecropper’s son, had already established himself as a track star for Ohio State at the 1935 Big Ten championships. In 45 minutes, he broke five world records and tied a sixth in the sprints, hurdles, and long jump. Yet Owens faced strong Olympic competition from his teammate Ralph Metcalfe.

The former Buckeyes sprinter peaked at an opportune time. In his three preliminary heats, Owens turned in times of 10.3, 10.2, and 10.4 seconds. With the field narrowed to six competitors, Owens broke out in front and pulled ahead by two meters at the halfway point. Metcalfe pulled closer but still trailed by a meter at the tape. Owens captured the gold with a clocking of 10.3, while Metcalfe claimed the silver at 10.4. Holland’s Martinus Osendarp won the bronze at 10.5.

EXTRA < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

POINT Prior to Owens’s triumph, Nazi propaganda portrayed African-Americans as inferior and taunted the United States for relying on “black auxiliaries” to fill their Olympic roster. However, the message appeared not to affect German fans. The crowd of 110,000 at Reich Sports Field Stadium thundered their approval of Jesse Owens’s victory. Although Adolph Hitler ignored every African-American gold medalist, hundreds of fans clamored for Owens’s autograph at every public sighting.

Jesse Owens proved to be one of the greatest athletes of all time. But the track star also exhibited strong character. Although the Nazi leader and German newspapers put him down, Owens showed love to German fans and athletes. In fact, Owens and German jumper Luz Long developed a friendship that continued with Long’s family even after he lost his life in 1943 at the battle of San Pietro.

And God wants us to do the same thing by demonstrating his love to our enemies.

GOAL! It’s easy to hate your enemies. But God wants more from you. Ask God to help you show love and pray for people who put you down.