50 stunning Olympic moments: Jesse Owens 4 golds in Berlin – in pictures

Ohio State athlete Jesse Owens announced his presence to the world in May 1935 when he set three world records and equalled another within a span of 45 minutes to produce the sport's greatest one-day effort at age 21 in the Big Ten Western Conference Track and Field meet. He set new world records in the 220 yard dash and 220 yards hurdles, smashed the long jump world record with a leap of 26ft 8 1/4 inches and equalled the 100 yard dash record of 9.4 seconds Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

It was no surprise then that he was picked to represent his country at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Here he gets some practice in whilst en route for Germany on the S.S. Manhattan Photograph: Joe Caneva/AP

Owens cruised through the heats of the 100m and was equally as impervious in the final and took the gold medal with ease Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Owens' next event was the long jump but he was in danger of going out in the qualifying session after recording two no jumps. It was only the assistance of Germany's Luz Long, who suggested he set his runup maker a foot or so further back, that meant that Owens' next jump was good and he sailed into the final. In the penultimate round Luz was leading on 7.87m until Owens put in two mighty jumps of 7.94m and 8.06m to take gold Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

The German silver medalist was the first to congratulate Owens and they took a lap of honour around the stadium together as the crowd rose to salute them both. "It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler," said Owens later. "You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn't be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment." Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

The 200m was a stroll in the park as Owens sailed through the heats and won gold with an Olympic record time of 21.1 seconds Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

Owens won his fourth gold in the 4x100m relay which the US team won in a new Olympic and world record time of 39.8 seconds. Italy were second and Germany third. Here Owens hands over the baton to 100m silver medal winner Ralph Metcalfe Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Upon his return to the United States Owens was given a welcome worthy of a 4 time Olympic gold medal winner, here he waves to the crowds from an open car during a ticker tape parade along Broadway in New York City. Though this hero's welcome didn't extend to the reception held in his honour at the Waldorf hotel that evening. As a black man Owens was not permitted to enter through the main doors and had to instead travel up to the event in a freight elevator Photograph: AP

That wasn't the only injustice metered out to the amazing athlete - President Roosevelt didn't even send Owens a congratulatory telegram. "When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn't ride in the front of the bus," he said later. "I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler but I wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the president either." He had to wait nigh on 30 years to shake hands with the US president when in August 1976, Gerald Ford presented Owens with the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US Photograph: AP

The importance of Jesse Owens achievement, which has only once been equalled by Carl Lewis in 1984, has not been forgotten and in honour of his greatness, an image of him appeared as part of a mural at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta Photograph: Mike King/Corbis