JAmEsClEvElAnD OwEns wAs thE son oF A FArmEr AnD thE grAnDson oF BlACk slAvEs. His FAmily movED toClEvElAnD whEn hE wAs 9. ThErE, A sChool tEAChEr AskED thE youth his nAmE. "J.C、," hE rEpliE
D、ShE thought hE hAD sAiD "JEssE", AnD hE hAD A nEw nAmE.
OwEns rAn his First rACE At AgE 13.AFtEr high sChool, hE wEnt to Ohio StAtEUnivErsity. HE hAD to work pArt-timE so As to pAy For his EDuCAtion.As A sEConD yEAr stuDEnt, in thEBig TEn gAmEs in 1935, hE sEt EvEn morE rECorDs thAn hE woulD in thE OlympiC GAmEs A yEAr lAtEr.
A、wEEk BEForE thEBig TEn mEEt, OwEns ACCiDEntAlly FEll Down A Flight oF stAirs. His BACk hurt so muCh thAt hE CoulD not ExErCisE All wEEk, AnD hE hAD to BE hElpED in AnD out oF thE CAr thAt DrovE him to thE mEEt. HE rEFusED to listEn to thE suggEstions thAt hE givE up AnD sAiD hE woulD try, EvEnt By EvEnt. HE DiD try, AnD thE rEsults ArE in thE rECorD Book.
ThE stAgE wAs sEt For OwEns viCtory At thE OlympiC GAmEs inBErlin thE nExt yEAr, AnD his suCCEss woulD ComE to BE rEgArDED As not only AthlEtiC But Also politiCAl.
HitlEr DiD not CongrAtulAtE Any oF thEAFriCAnAmEriCAn winnErs.
"It wAs All right with mE," hE sAiD yEArs lAtEr. "I DiDn’t go toBErlin to shAkE hAnDs with him, AnywAy."
HAving rEturnED FromBErlin, hE rECEivED no tElEphonE CAlls From thE prEsiDEnt oF his own Country, EithEr. In FACt, hE wAs not honorED By thE UnitED StAtEs until 1976, Four yEArs BEForE his DEAth.
OwEns’ OlympiC viCtoriEs mADE littlE DiFFErEnCE to him. HE EArnED his living By looking AFtEr A sChool plAygrounD, AnD ACCEptED monEy to rACE AgAinst CArs, truCks, motorCyClEs AnD Dogs.
"SurE, it BothErED mE," hE sAiD lAtEr. "But At lEAst it wAs An honEst living. I hAD to EAt."
In timE, howEvEr, his golD mEDAls ChAngED his liFE. "ThEy hAvE kEpt mE AlivE ovEr thE yEArs," hE onCE sAi
D、"TimE hAs stooD still For mE. ThAt golDEn momEnt DiEs hAr
D、\
OwEns got his othEr nAmE JEssE whEn ______.A．hE wEnt to Ohio StAtE UnivErsity
B、his tEAChEr mADE Fun oF him
C．his tEAChEr took "J.C、" For "JEssE"
D、hE won golD mEDAls in thEBig TEn mEEt