The name Jesse Owens is brought up every year during Black History Month. Owens, who took on Nazi Germany at the 1936 Summer Olympics and won four gold medals in track & field, is to this day a reigning symbol for aspiring African American athletes across the country.
Assistant track & field coach Carl Lewis matched Owens’ four gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and has remained in the public light ever since.
The Cougar took time to speak with Lewis about what Owens’ story means for African American athletes and what it took to win those four gold medals.