▁the ▁respond ents ▁agreed ▁with ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁" black s ▁have ▁more ▁natural ▁physical ▁ability ". ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁theories ▁regarding ▁ra cial ▁differences ▁of ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁people ▁and ▁their ▁possible ▁effect ▁on ▁sports ▁performance ▁have ▁been ▁put ▁forth ▁since ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁by ▁profession als ▁in ▁many ▁different ▁fields . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁subject ▁f aded ▁over ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁as ▁black ▁athlet es ▁were ▁elimin ated ▁from ▁white ▁organized ▁sport ▁and ▁seg reg ated ▁to ▁comp ete ▁among ▁themselves ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁amateur ▁and ▁professional ▁teams . ▁Interest ▁in ▁the ▁subject ▁was ▁renew ed ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁Summer ▁Olympics ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁J esse ▁O w ens ' s ▁record - bre aking ▁performances ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Track ▁Championships . ▁Regarding ▁J esse ▁O wen ' s ▁impress ive ▁four - g old ▁medal ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁Olympics , ▁the ▁then ▁U . S ▁head ▁coach ▁remarked ▁that ▁“ The ▁Neg ro ▁exc els . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁long ▁ago ▁that ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁s print ▁and ▁jump ▁was ▁a ▁life - and - de ath ▁matter ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁j ung le . ▁His ▁mus cles ▁are ▁p li able , ▁and ▁his ▁easy ▁going ▁disposition ▁is ▁a ▁valuable ▁aid ▁to ▁the ▁mental ▁and ▁physical ▁relax ation ▁that ▁a ▁runner ▁and