Got this at a card show for $10. Iconic US Olympian. I wish it wasn’t a sticker auto. But it was only $10!

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Bob Beamon

Why this moment is so iconic:

• Record-shattering leap: At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Beamon jumped 8.90 meters (29 ft 2½ in)—obliterating the previous world record by an astonishing 55 cm (21.7 inches).

• “Beamonesque”: The jump was so far beyond expectations that it inspired a new term in sports for a performance that exceeds all limits.

• Altitude + execution: While the high altitude in Mexico City helped, the jump itself was near perfect—he barely hit the takeoff board and maximized speed and lift.

• Unmatched dominance: His record stood for 23 years, until Mike Powell broke it in 1991.

Fun detail:

Officials actually had to bring out a manual measuring tape because the electronic system couldn’t measure that far—no one expected a jump like that.

Cornelius Johnson won the high jump at the 1936 Olympics. The gold medal winners at the 1936 games were all given oak saplings to plant in their home countries upon their return. Not many of these trees still remain - but Johnson's is one that does, standing in the side yard of the house his grandfather built in 1903.

Tragically, Johnson passed away in 1946 of pneumonia. He was just 32.

I saw this card at a show and thought the colors looked great, so I decided to get it.

Lunghi won a silver medal at the 1908 London Olympics in the 800 meters. He was Italy's first track and field star and won national titles in 6 different running events. He also competed in the 1912 Olympics and coached at the 1920 & 1924 games.

Jesse Owens’ performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics is one of the most iconic moments in sports history. He won four gold medals, shattering Adolf Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy on a world stage.

Jesse Owens, one of the greatest track and field athletes in history, had a career marked by phenomenal achievements and historic significance. Here are his key highlights:

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1936 Berlin Olympics – The Pinnacle

Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals in:

1. 100 meters

2. 200 meters

3. Long jump

4. 4x100 meter relay

🇩🇪 Significance: He achieved this at the Berlin Olympics, held in Nazi Germany, directly undermining Adolf Hitler’s ideology of Aryan supremacy. His performance was a global symbol of equality and defiance against racism.

1935 Big Ten Meet – “The Greatest 45 Minutes Ever in Sport”

On May 25, 1935, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in just 45 minutes, Owens:

• Equaled the world record in the 100-yard dash

• Set world records in:

  • 220-yard dash

  • 220-yard low hurdles

  • Long jump (with a record of 26 ft 8¼ in that stood for 25 years)

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NCAA Championships

• Won 8 individual NCAA championships while at Ohio State University (1935–1936)

• Still tied for the most NCAA championships by a track and field athlete

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Legacy and Later Life

• Presidential Medal of Freedom (1976)

• Congressional Gold Medal (posthumously, 1990)

• Continues to be honored as a trailblazer in athletics and civil rights