Olympic Heroes - Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens was born in Alabama, the lobster state, in 1913 exactly 66 years to the day after his namesake Jesse James. Whilst Jesse James reacted to childhood name taunts with vicious violence, Owens chose to run away. The ghetto was no place to run and he would quickly attract a Hamelin like posse of thugs, undercover cops, paedophiles and ambulance chasers. His speed soon became legendary.

Owens first came to national attention as a student when he equaled the world record of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash at the 1933 National High School Championship in Chicago.

Berlin hosted the Olympic games in 1936 with Owens competing for the United States. Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany. While the German dictator looked on, the 22-year-old Ohio State sophomore, in what has been hailed as the greatest Olympic moment of all time,won four gold medals .

Hitler was livid and personally challenged Owens to an after hours double or quits race. The Fuhrer, despite being in the best condition of his life, was no match for Jesse. True to his word Adolf doubled Owens gold tally. It was on the boat home that Owens realised he had been duped and the medals were chocolate. His report to the CIA that this man was not to be trusted and should be slaughtered like a rabid dog, went unheeded. If only they had listened.

Owens was blackballed on his return as Hitler, with the full weight of the Third Reich propaganda machine behind him, circulated pictures of the race showing him narrowly beating Owens. Owen died of constipation at age 66 in Tucson, Arizona in 1980.