美国田径史上我只知道四个人，按时间顺序：
1 杰西·欧文斯James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens（1913年7月12日－1980年3月31日）他参加了德国（纳粹时期）举办的1936年夏季奥林匹克运动会，取得了令人瞩目的4枚奥运金牌，分别是男子100米、200米，跳远和4x100米接力。为了纪念欧文斯对世界体育运动的贡献，美国体育机构以他的名字设立“杰西·欧文斯奖”，每年评选一次，奖给在田径运动中成绩卓著的各国运动员。
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913–March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team.
2 弗洛伦斯·格里菲斯-乔伊娜Florence Griffith-Joyner（1959年12月21日－1998年9月21日）昵称“Flo-Jo”在1988年汉城奥运上，乔伊娜获得了100米、200米、4*100米接力三枚金牌和4*400米接力银牌，并以21秒34的成绩创造了200米世界纪录，这个世界纪录同样也保持到了现在。100米比赛中跑出10秒49的成绩，这个成绩时至今日仍是世界纪录。Griffith was born in Los Angeles and raised in the Jordan Downs public housing complex. During the late 1980s she became a popular figure in international track and field due to her record-setting performances and flashy personal style. She holds the world records in the 100 m and 200 m races. She was the wife of track star Al Joyner and the sister-in-law of runner Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
3 卡尔·刘易斯Carl Lewis（1961年7月1日－）在5届奥运会84年到96年五届奥运会中获得过9枚金牌，2000年被国际田联评选为20世纪最伟大的田径运动员。Frederick Carlton ("Carl") Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is a retired American track and field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were golds, in a career that spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired. Lewis, who currently lives in Los Angeles, is now an actor and has a role in the upcoming, 2010 jewel heist movie '62 pickup starring comedian Eddie Griffin.[1]
Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s, was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News in 1982, 1983 and 1984, and set world records in the 100 m, 4 x 100 m and 4 x 200 m relays. His world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport’s longest undefeated streaks.
His lifetime accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and being named "Olympian of the Century" by the American sports magazine Sports Illustrated. He also helped transform track and field from its nominal amateur status to its current professional status, thus enabling athletes to have more lucrative and longer-lasting careers. In 2003 revelations of failed drug tests by Lewis before the 1988 Seoul Olympics put the validity of his achievements into question.
4 迈克尔·约翰逊Michael Duane Johnson（1967年9月13日－）保持着男子400米短跑与4x400米接力（美国队）的世界纪录。迈克尔·约翰逊夺得5面奥运金牌与9次世界田径锦标赛冠军，是唯一一位在同一次奥运夺得男子200米短跑与男子400米短跑两面金牌的运动员，也是唯一一位在男子400米短跑卫冕成功的运动员
Michael Duane Johnson (born September 13, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is a retired United States sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and was crowned world champion nine times.[1] Johnson currently holds the world record in the 400 m and 4 x 400 m relay and formerly held the world record in the 200 m and Indoor 400 m. His 200 m time of 19.32 at the Atlanta Olympics stood as the record for over 12 years.
He is the only athlete in history to win both the 200 m and 400 m events at the same Olympics, a feat he accomplished at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Johnson is also the only man to successfully defend his Olympic title in the 400 m. Aside from his Olympic success, Johnson accumulated nine gold medals at World Championships, which is the most of any athlete in history.[2]
Johnson was noted for his unique running style. His upright stance and very short steps defied the perceived wisdom that a high knee lift was essential for maximum speed.
能称上德高望重的最伟大当属：杰西·欧文斯
上中学期间，曾在一次中小学生田径运动会的100码跑比赛中以9秒4平了世界纪录，跳远达7.60米。他被俄亥俄州立大学看中录取，资助奖学金， 1935年在安阿伯举行的全美大学生运动会上，因在45分钟内5次打破4项世界纪录，平一项世界纪录而轰动体坛。同时其创造的跳远8.13米成绩保持达25年之久。柏林奥运会前创造的100米10秒2手记时世界纪录保持了21年。在1936年地11届奥运会上，他在11万观众面前夺得了100米、200米、跳远、4×100米接力4项金牌，平、破奥运会记录12次，成了本届奥运会最辉煌的人物。然而，欧文斯的奇迹却使东道国的纳粹党徒们恨之入骨，因为法西斯独裁者希特勒极力想利用奥运会标榜日尔曼民族的优越，一位黑人运动员在奥运会上出尽风头无疑给了他们当头一棒。特别是在跳远比赛的激烈竞争中，欧文斯在希特勒面前战胜夺冠呼声及高的德国选手朗后，希特勒抛掉作为东道国首脑应有的风度，气急败坏地离场，回避为冠军颁奖和握手祝贺的仪式。国际奥委会主席巴耶一拉图尔批评说，如果他不能一视同仁，继续歧视黑人运动员的话，干脆取消颁奖仪式。欧文斯回答记者的提问时说：“我到柏林不是来与什么人物握手的，我是来夺金牌的，现在这个目的我已经达到了，这就足够了。”欧文斯不仅也赢得了金牌而且赢得了道义。他的良好的体育道德和运动家风度，以及为人友善的品质，都使他成为全世界运动员崇拜的偶像。
1980年，也即在其去世的当年，被欧美各报体育记者评为20实际最佳运动员。为了纪念他对世界体育运动的贡献，美国体育机构设立“杰西·欧文斯奖”奖给在体育运动中成绩杰出的运动员。1984年在洛杉矶奥运会开幕式上，人们看到欧文斯的外孙女吉娜·汉菲尔手持火炬跑进会场，顿时全场沸腾。美国人用这种方式追怀欧文斯的英灵，表明奥林匹克精神永存。1999年6月在国际体育记者协会成立75周年纪念活动中，欧文斯被评为“20实际25名最佳运动员”之一。同年12月14日，由美联社推举的国际奥林匹克运动权威人士组成的评选小组，评选欧文斯为20世纪夏季奥运会10名男子最佳运动员之一。
