The Jesse Owens International Trophy is an annual sports award that is given out by the International Athletic Association (IAA), named after Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens.[a] It has been awarded annually since 1981, with the exception of a ten-year break from 2004 to 2014.[1] In 2002 and 2003, it was briefly renamed "American-International Athlete Trophy" before it returned to its original name.[2]
The award was created and promoted by Herb Douglas, American long jumper and Olympic silver medalist in 1948. Douglas was inspired by Jesse Owens and founded the IAA.[3] After the pause due to Douglas' old age, former Penn Quakers football player Wesley E. Smith became chairman of the International Athletic Association and rebooted the award.[4]
There is a separate and unrelated annual track and field award called the Jesse Owens Award given out by USA Track & Field since 1981.
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- ^ "Usain Bolt, Messi, Phelps, LeBron among finalists for Prestigious Jesse Owens International Award". TrackAlerts. January 28, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "Jesse Owens' Olympic Gold Medal". Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
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