The Top 5 Greatest Sporting Achievements - Part 1

#4) Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympic Games

Jesse Owens’ triumphs in the 1936 Olympics served to nullify Hitler’s Aryan vision. It must be noted however, that Owens’ four gold medals were only a minor embarrassment for the Nazi regime.

Germany still won the most medals in 1936 by far, and in general saw the Games as a propaganda success casting the Nazi’s in a positive light.

Furthermore, the validity behind the ‘Hitler Snub’ has since been refuted by Owens who once said: “Hitler didn’t snub me – it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram”. Owens even claimed that his reception in Germany was better than that in America, where he received no ad deals, Hollywood offers or endorsement contracts after winning four gold medals.

However, you can’t change all the people all of the time and the ability to intensely touch the hearts and minds of a few can impact far more powerfully than mass connections.

Whether it was in Berlin, America or any other country his talents were being televised, Jesse Owens certainly helped change the opinions of a minority through his sprinting ability.With the 1936 Olympic Games proving to be the highlight of his career – and containing the heartfelt moment when white German Luz Long advised Jesse to play his long jump safe for fear of the black American being disqualified – Jesse’s contribution merits it a place on our list.