1936

1936 was the year that Mussolini launched an ill-fated attempt to colonise Ethiopia. The Italians had been soundly defeated by Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taitu's armies at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 and the Italians were still smarting over that defeat. Mussolini's imperialist ambitions required that he have another go. Emperor Haile Selassie and his family went into exile in England and directed the resistance to the Italian occupation - he was to return to Ethiopia in 1941 after the Italians had once again been defeated.

It was also the year that Jesse Owens was to complete an Olympic feat that is yet to be surpassed after 72 years. Despite being treated as a second class citizen by his own country and in front of a leader who believed in the existence of master race, he made an eloquent statement with his performances. Yet, his Olympic haul of 4 gold medals in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4 x 100m relay was not his most impressive athletic feat. That came a year earlier when in under an hour, he set world records in the long jump, the 220-yard dash, the 220-yard low hurdles, equalled the world record for the 100-yard dash, with an ailing back sustained after he fell down a flight of stairs.

I first visited Berlin's Olympic stadium in 1995, but missed the plaque commemorating Jesse Owen's achievements. 13 years on and a refurbishment later, the plaque has been moved to a VIP lounge that bears Jesse Owens name.

With the Bejing Olympics upon us, I thought it important to pay homage to a true Olympian great who personifies the Olympic motto of Citius, Altius, Fortius.