Jesse Owens Rising Star Award to Honour Young Athletes at WDL Finals

A new award in honour of legendary US sprinter Jesse Owens will be presented to two outstanding young athletes at the Wanda Diamond League Final from 2024 onwards.

The Jesse Owens Rising Star Award will honour the best performing male and female athletes aged 23 or under at each Wanda Diamond League Final, starting with this year’s edition in Brussels on September 13 and 14.

Alrick Swaby tells us more.

The award, a collaboration between the Owens family, the Jesse Owens Foundation and the Wanda Diamond League, aims to celebrate young talent in athletics and honour the legacy of one of global track and field’s most iconic figures.

Jesse Owens was 23 years old when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi-era Berlin, writing himself indelibly into the sporting history books.

He went on to become a fighter for equal employment opportunities and against discrimination.

The Jesse Owens Rising Star Award will therefore be awarded to the two athletes aged 23 or under, in order to elevate and promote aspiring young talents in the sport.

The winning performances will be decided using a points system which compares performances across disciplines, with the best male and female athletes each receiving the award.

Each winner will receive a bronze statuette of Owens designed by Belgian sculptor Jan Desmarets.

Two oak trees will also be planted in the Wanda Diamond League Final host city in honour of the two winners, in a gesture which unites both the past and the sustainable future of athletics.

At the 1936 Olympics, Owens and his fellow champions were presented with an oak sapling along with their gold medals.