Fellow Sports Stars & Olympians Will Celebrate Athletes’ Outstanding Achievements At the 2017 Jesse Owens International Athlete Trophy Gala on April 27^th in New York City

Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics, wasn’t the only man of color competing that Hitler despised. There were a total of 18. And the group won total of 8 gold, four silver and two bronze. Ralph Metcalfe who became a U.S. Congressman and Jackie Robinson’s brother Mack Robinson won a silver medal in the 200 meters. The names of the 1936 black American Olympians are Dave Albritton, Jesse Owens, Cornelius Johnson, Mack Robinson, John Woodruff, and Ralph Metcalfe.(AP Photo/file)

The International Athletic Association (IAA) today announced that iconic tennis star Serena Williams and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali are the recipients of the esteemed 2017 Jesse Owens Awards. The prestigious awards recognize sports legends who exemplify the ideals embodied by Olympian and humanitarian Jesse Owens: integrity, perseverance and service.

This year’s historic ceremony falls on the 81^st anniversary of Jesse Owens’ incomparable triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals and defeated Hitler’s superiority ambitions. Herb Douglas Jr., bronze medalist in the 1948 London Olympics and protégé of Jesse Owens, co-founded the Award program with Owens’ widow Ruth and their three daughters in 1981. They saw a need to honor Owens and created this annual, charitable celebration where the biggest sports icons of yesterday and today gather to continue his legacy.

Missed again! Serena Williams will miss the WTA Finals for the second year in a row on her doctor’s orders.