The greatest Olympic athlete of all time.

What a sweeping victory in 1936! Stuck it to Hitler too.

without a question the greatest track and field athlete all the time. 4 olympic gold medals - and he didnt compete in the hurdle-events where he was world class too. lewis did the same later, had more good opponents. but as it is today: we know that jesse owens didnt take roids. so his success was unquestionabe a clean one. its hard to say: today we never know. great how he crashed the stupidity of racism - in germany when hitler had to see him win as a black man. and in his own country, where still was race discrimination .

Jesse Owens was arguably the greatest athlete ever to compete in the Olympics. Blessed with rare physical prowess, and motivated by his sheer desire to prove he was the best, Owens crushed Adolf Hitler's neurotic (and false) ideal which held that Aryans were far superior athletes and human beings to any other. If the 1936 Berlin games was meant to showcase Nazi Germany's Aryan superiority over all other races, Jesse Owens proved otherwise with a performance for the ages. He represented what is great about America and democracy.

Definetly one of tracks greatest athletes ever to live. He faced racism and still came out on top. To me, he could have been the fastest even now. I mean, think about it. If he had a rubber track rather than a dirt one. If he had a proper spikes. If he had proper blocks. If only he had the training of today. He definetly could've been a contender!

The look on Hitler's face makes him numero uno.

The best, overcame racism and shined at hitler's olympics. great african american role model. SUBMIT

Give me Jesse's 4 Gold medals in a very hostile arena (Germany) He was a hero and one of the greatest athletes ever.

I agree with Lord of the Waves emphatically. Surprisingly, he actually went to Berlin and disappointed Hitler by taking the gold in 1936. He did, essentially, what Jackie Robinson did, but just 11 years earlier. He overcame such adversity, hatred, and bigotry.

He is an inspiration to my life. Jesse Owens overcame racial stereotyping and despite the attempts of the nazi's finest he won gold medals. Jesse was an amazing god of strength compacted into a human body.

He was a great athlete and show person. He crossed both the finish and the colorline first. He showed that by winning black people could do anything.

Jesse Owens victories in the face of Nazi Germany are the best Olympic moments ever. Jesse is an inspiration to all American track athletes and a hero for the African American community. Jesse will always be the man.

Jesse Owens was the first dominant black athlete in track and field. Jesse Owens opened many doors for many other black athletes. This is why I rate him at such a high score.

Not much has to be said about Owens. All I know is his indirect taunting of Hitler was one of the greatest moments for any minority to see. "Great" is a nice word for Owens, "Legend" is better.

American athletes are among the greatest in the world. I must say and speak about one particular American who has stood the test of time, Jesse Owens. A person who has set many records globally for the long jump, sprinting, long distance and pole vault. He has definitely provided a good set of ideals for youth to follow. He is a very responsible man.

His performance in the 1936 Olympics was the ultimate "in your face" performance. He showed the world that he was the world's greatest athlete and did it in front of the man who was trying to show the world that there was a master race.

Jesse Owens was the most influential runner ever as a result of his skin color and the confrontation with pre-WW2 Hitler and his white supremacist ideals.

Didn't show respect for Hitler! Coool! :o)

Showed those damn Nazis who was boss, and outraced a horse.

Owens has a special place in history for proving his athletic excellence in a classy manner in the most eery of circumstances: Berlin, 1936.