Jesse Owens and the greatest 45 minutes in sport

As we celebrate the Tokyo Olympics, it is appropriate to remember Jesse Owens, but not for his Olympic feats. He set five world records and equaled a sixth in 45 minutes!

"Jesse Owens set five world records and equalled a sixth in 45 minutes. Yes, five world record-breaking performances and a world record-equalling one in three-quarters of an hour. It bears repeating.

While Owens won four gold medals in seven days at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games – a truly momentous feat achieved in the face of genuine adversity – it has, in pure sporting terms, been matched. Compatriot Carl Lewis followed in Owens’ footsteps 48 years later by doing the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m quadruple at the Los Angeles Games. In contrast, Owens’ efforts in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on 25 May 1935 at the Big Ten Championships (a leading annual USA intercollegiate athletics meet) stand alone in all sport."