Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis (2009)
Full name	Frederick Carlton Lewis
nation	United States
date of birth	July 1, 1961
size	188 cm
weight	80 kg
Career
discipline	Sprint , long jump
Best performance	9.86 s ( 100 m ) 19.75 s ( 200 m ) 8.87 m (long jump)
society	Santa Monica Track Club
End of career	1996
Medal table
Olympic games 9 × 1 × 0 × World championships 8 × 1 × 1 × Panamerica. Games 2 × 0 × 1 ×
Olympic games gold Los Angeles 1984 100 m gold Los Angeles 1984 200 m gold Los Angeles 1984 Long jump gold Los Angeles 1984 4 × 100 m gold Seoul 1988 100 m gold Seoul 1988 Long jump silver Seoul 1988 200 m gold Barcelona 1992 Long jump gold Barcelona 1992 4 × 100 m gold Atlanta 1996 Long jump  World championships gold Helsinki 1983 100 m gold Helsinki 1983 Long jump gold Helsinki 1983 4 × 100 m gold Rome 1987 100 m gold Rome 1987 Long jump gold Rome 1987 4 × 100 m gold Tokyo 1991 100 m gold Tokyo 1991 4 × 100 m silver Tokyo 1991 Long jump bronze Stuttgart 1993 200 m  Pan American Games bronze San Juan 1979 Long jump gold Indianapolis 1987 Long jump gold Indianapolis 1987 4 × 100 m

Carl Lewis (actually Frederick Carlton Lewis ; born July 1, 1961 in Birmingham , Alabama ) is an American former athlete. He is one of the most successful athletes in sports history. He set several world records and dominated the sprint and long jump between 1983 and 1996 with nine Olympic victories and eight world championship titles like no other. In 1999 he was named Track and Field Athlete of the Century by the IAAF (World Athletics) .

Career

Olympic games

1980 Carl Lewis was appointed to the US selection for the Olympic Games in Moscow. The American boycott of the Games prevented Lewis' first major international appearance. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, reparations came. Lewis, who had already been successful at the World Championships in Helsinki the year before , won four gold medals ( 100 m , 200 m , long jump , 4 × 100 m ), doing the same feat that his great idol Jesse Owens did at the 1936 Games had succeeded in Berlin.

At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Lewis was able to add two more gold medals to his collection in the long jump and 100-meter run. However, the latter was only awarded to him retrospectively after the initially victorious Ben Johnson was convicted of doping . The fact that Lewis could not repeat the quadruple triumph of Los Angeles was due to the disqualification of the US sprint relay in the run-up due to a mistake. In addition to Calvin Smith , this mishap with Lee McNeill , of all things , was the substitute who was used instead of Lewis to spare him due to his many individual starts. In addition, Lewis had to admit defeat to his friend and teammate Joe DeLoach over 200 meters .

Four years later, Lewis could not qualify for a single start over the 100 or 200 meters for the games in Barcelona due to an illness in advance. So he only had a chance of winning again in the sprint relay and in the long jump. He succeeded in both, in the relay competition he also led his team as the final runner with a world record for gold, which was only surpassed by Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 . With the victory in the long jump, Carl Lewis was not only able to celebrate his third Olympic gold medal in this discipline, but also defeated Mike Powell, the man who over time had become his first really serious competitor and who now held the world record.

At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Lewis was finally able to win his fourth gold medal in a row in the long jump. Before that, only Al Oerter had succeeded in the discus throw . After the Atlanta Games, Lewis retired from competitive sports.

Carl Lewis won a total of ten Olympic medals (nine gold, one silver). In terms of the number of Olympic gold medals, he is after Michael Phelps and three other Olympic athletes the most successful athlete of all time (as of 2021) and one of the most successful athletes ever.

World championships

At the first World Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 1983 , Carl Lewis made his international breakthrough. With a total of three gold medals over 100 meters , 4 times 100 meters and the long jump, he was the most successful participant in these championships after Marita Koch from the GDR.

Four years later at the World Championships in Rome , Lewis was able to repeat the success. However, he was awarded the world title over 100 meters, as well as the Olympic victory the following year, through the disqualification of Ben Johnson.

Since the Canadian's disqualification, Lewis also held the world record, which he lost to Leroy Burrell in 1991 shortly before the World Championships in Tokyo . At the world championships, Lewis finally defended his title in the fastest 100-meter race of all time and regained the world record with a winning time of 9.86 s. Six of the eight finalists stayed below the “magic limit” of ten seconds in this race, and in addition to the world record, a new European record and an African record were set.

This convincing performance also made Carl Lewis a huge favorite for the subsequent long jump competition. But in his favorite discipline, of all things, he had to give way to his teammate Mike Powell after a winning streak that had lasted for more than ten years . In a memorable competition that once again surpassed the 100 meter final in terms of sporting importance, Lewis jumped the best series of competitions that a long jumper had ever achieved. He managed four jumps between 8.83 m and 8.91 m and with the latter exceeded the legendary record of 8.90 m by Bob Beamon from 1968, which had existed for 23 years to date. However, the 8.91 meter jump could not be rated as a world record due to the strong tailwind. Lewis finally lost the sensational competition against Mike Powell, who in turn set a new world record with 8.95 m. With the victory in the 4 x 100 meter relay, Carl Lewis won his third medal in these world championships.

At this point in time, Carl Lewis had eight world championship titles, which no other athlete at the time had even come close to achieving. This record was later set by Michael Johnson and only exceeded in 2015 by Usain Bolt , who was accommodated by the new regulation that, from 1993, the frequency of the World Championships was halved to two years.

In 1993 Carl Lewis won the bronze medal in the 200-meter run at the World Championships in Stuttgart after he was dethroned as world champion in the previous 100-meter run and only finished fourth. Since he took a break from the long jump in this competition year and also renounced a relay deployment, this was his only medal in these championships.

In total, Carl Lewis won ten medals at four world championships (eight gold, one silver and one bronze).

Doping allegations

In 2003 it became known that in a 1988 doping test Lewis was subjected to during the US elimination bouts, three prohibited doping substances ( ephedrine , pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine ) had been found. The Olympic Committee of the USA ( USOC ) canceled the suspension due to the fact that it was taken unintentionally and withheld the case (as well as other positive samples from other athletes, such as Joe DeLoach ) from the IOC , so Lewis could compete in Seoul.

statistics

Competition balance:

date	competition	location	place	discipline	result	wind
June 24, 1978	TAC Junior Championships	Bloomington	4th	Long jump	7.55 m	k. A.
Feb. 23, 1979	AAU indoor championships	new York	6th	Long jump	7.27 m	-
June 16, 1979	AAU championships	Walnut	2	Long jump	8.09 m (w)	k. A.
7th July 1979	Pan American Games	San Juan	3	Long jump	8.13 m	k. A.
Feb. 29, 1980	TAC indoor championships	new York	3	Long jump	7.87 m	-
March 14, 1980	NCAA indoor championships	Detroit	1	Long jump	8.04 m	-
June 6, 1980	NCAA championships	Austin	1	Long jump	8.35 m (w)	2.2 m / s
June 16, 1980	TAC Junior Championships	Knoxville	1	100 m	10.21 s	−4.0 m / s
June 17, 1980	TAC Junior Championships	Knoxville	1	200 m	20.66 s	−1.8 m / s
June 22, 1980	US Olympic eliminations	Eugene	4th	100 m	10.32 s	0.0 m / s
June 25, 1980	US Olympic eliminations	Eugene	2	Long jump	8.01 m (w)	2.6 m / s
July 7, 1980	IAAF Super Grand Prix ( DN Galan )	Stockholm	2	100 m	10.39 s	0.7 m / s
July 13, 1980	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Peugeot-Talbot Games)	London	1	4 × 100 m	38.97 s	-
Aug 5, 1980	IAAF Golden League ( Golden Gala )	Rome	2	100 m	10.23 s	0.0 m / s
Aug 8, 1980	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	2	100 m	10.28 s	−0.9 m / s
Aug 8, 1980	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	4 × 100 m	38.70 s	-
Aug 13, 1980	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	HF	100 m	10.47 s	−0.9 m / s
Aug 29, 1980	Pan American Championships (Juniors)	Sudbury	1	100 m	10.43 s	−1.1 m / s
Aug 31, 1980	Pan American Championships (Juniors)	Sudbury	1	200 m	20.72 s (w)	2.7 m / s
Feb. 27, 1981	TAC indoor championships	new York	2	Long jump	8.08 m	-
March 13, 1981	NCAA indoor championships	Detroit	1	Long jump	8.48 m	-
March 14, 1981	NCAA indoor championships	Detroit	1	60 yds	6.16 s	-
5th June 1981	NCAA championships	Baton Rouge	1	100 m	9.99 s (w)	2.6 m / s
5th June 1981	NCAA championships	Baton Rouge	1	Long jump	8.25 m	-
June 20, 1981	TAC championships	Sacramento	1	100 m	10.13 s	0.4 m / s
June 20, 1981	TAC championships	Sacramento	1	Long jump	8.62 m	0.8 m / s
June 26, 1981	IAAF Golden League ( Bislett Games )	Oslo	1	Long jump	8.03 m	k. A.
Aug 19, 1981	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	Long jump	8.52 m	−2.0 m / s
Feb. 26, 1982	TAC indoor championships	new York	1	Long jump	8.55 m	-
June 19, 1982	TAC championships	Knoxville	1	100 m	10.11 s	−0.5 m / s
June 19, 1982	TAC championships	Knoxville	1	Long jump	8.48 m	0.1 m / s
Aug 18, 1982	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	Long jump	8.58 m	0.0 m / s
Aug 18, 1982	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	4 × 100 m	38.13 s	-
Aug 20, 1982	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	100 m	10.08 s	1.2 m / s
Aug 20, 1982	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	4 × 100 m	38.24 s	-
Feb 25, 1983	TAC indoor championships	new York	1	60 yds	6.04 s	-
Feb 25, 1983	TAC indoor championships	new York	1	Long jump	8.35 m	-
June 18, 1983	TAC championships	Indianapolis	1	100 m	10.27 s	−2.4 m / s
June 19, 1983	TAC championships	Indianapolis	1	200 m	19.75 s	1.5 m / s
June 19, 1983	TAC championships	Indianapolis	1	Long jump	8.79 m	1.9 m / s
Aug 8, 1983	World championships	Helsinki	1	100 m	10.07 s	−0.3 m / s
Aug 10, 1983	World championships	Helsinki	1	Long jump	8.55 m	1.2 m / s
Aug 10, 1983	World championships	Helsinki	1	4 × 100 m	37.86 s *	-
Aug 17, 1983	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	100 m	10.07 s	0.0 m / s
Aug 24, 1983	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	2	200 m	20.21 s	0.6 m / s
Aug 26, 1983	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	Long jump	8.36 m	1.8 m / s
Feb. 27, 1984	TAC indoor championships	new York	1	Long jump	8.50 m	-
17th June 1984	US Olympic eliminations	Los Angeles	1	100 m	10.06 s	−2.2 m / s
June 19, 1984	US Olympic eliminations	Los Angeles	1	Long jump	8.71 m	0.1 m / s
June 21, 1984	US Olympic eliminations	Los Angeles	1	200 m	19.86 s	−0.2 m / s
Aug 4, 1984	Olympic games	Los Angeles	1	100 m	9.99 s	0.2 m / s
Aug 6, 1984	Olympic games	Los Angeles	1	Long jump	8.54 m	−1.6 m / s
Aug 8, 1984	Olympic games	Los Angeles	1	200 m	19.80 s	−0.9 m / s
Aug 11, 1984	Olympic games	Los Angeles	1	4 × 100 m	37.83 s *	-
22 Aug 1984	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	100 m	9.99 s	0.9 m / s
Aug 24, 1984	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	Long jump	8.64 m	0.2 m / s
Feb. 8, 1985	TAC indoor championships	Los Angeles	1	Long jump	8.27 m	-
June 15, 1985	TAC championships	Indianapolis	HF	100 m	10.34 s	−0.2 m / s
Aug 21, 1985	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	4th	100 m	10.31 s	−0.6 m / s
23 Aug 1985	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	4th	200 m	20.69 s	k. A.
Aug 30, 1985	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	100 m	10.24 s	k. A.
Aug 30, 1985	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	Long jump	8.62 m	−0.1 m / s
June 20, 1986	TAC championships	Eugene	1	100 m	9.91 s (w)	4.5 m / s
June 20, 1986	TAC championships	Eugene	1	Long jump	8.67 m (w)	3.3 m / s
June 21, 1986	TAC championships	Eugene	4th	200 m	20.30 s (w)	3.2 m / s
July 9, 1986	Goodwill Games 1986	Moscow	3	100 m	10.06 s	0.8 m / s
July 9, 1986	Goodwill Games 1986	Moscow	1	4 × 100 m	37.98 s	-
July 11, 1986	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Peugeot-Talbot Games)	London	1	200 m	20.63 s	−0.3 m / s
Aug 13, 1986	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	3	100 m	10.25 s	−0.7 m / s
Feb. 27, 1987	TAC indoor championships	new York	3	55 m	6.19 s	-
June 26, 1987	TAC championships	San Jose	1	200 m	20.12 s	0.4 m / s
June 26, 1987	TAC championships	San Jose	1	Long jump	8.65 m	0.7 m / s
June 27, 1987	TAC championships	San Jose	2	100 m	10.05 s	1.8 m / s
Aug 16, 1987	Pan American Games	Indianapolis	1	Long jump	8.75 m	1.7 m / s
Aug 16, 1987	Pan American Games	Indianapolis	1	4 × 100 m	38.41 s	-
Aug 21, 1987	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	200 m	20.09 s	−0.4 m / s
Aug 21, 1987	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	4 × 100 m	38.18 s	-
Aug 30, 1987	World championships	Rome	1	100 m	9.93 s *	1.0 m / s
Sep 5 1987	World championships	Rome	1	Long jump	8.67 m	0.4 m / s
Sep 6 1987	World championships	Rome	1	4 × 100 m	37.90 s	-
Sep 11 1987	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	200 m	20.31 s	−1.0 m / s
Sep 15 1987	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 87)	Lausanne	1	100 m	10.11 s	0.0 m / s
Sep 15 1987	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 87)	Lausanne	1	200 m	20.02 s	0.3 m / s
June 24, 1988	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 88)	Lausanne	1	Long jump	8.43 m	1.5 m / s
July 16, 1988	US Olympic eliminations	Indianapolis	1	100 m	9.78 s (w)	5.2 m / s
July 18, 1988	US Olympic eliminations	Indianapolis	1	Long jump	8.76 m	0.8 m / s
July 20, 1988	US Olympic eliminations	Indianapolis	2	200 m	20.01 s	1.0 m / s
Aug 17, 1988	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	100 m	9.93 s *	1.1 m / s
Aug 19, 1988	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	1	100 m	10.04 s	−0.6 m / s
Aug 4, 1988	Olympic games	Seoul	1	100 m	9.92 s *	1.1 m / s
Aug 6, 1988	Olympic games	Seoul	1	Long jump	8.72 m	−0.2 m / s
Aug 8, 1988	Olympic games	Seoul	2	200 m	19.79 s	1.7 m / s
June 27, 1989	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 89)	Lausanne	1	Long jump	8.43 m	0.4 m / s
July 1, 1989	IAAF Golden League ( Bislett Games )	Oslo	2	100 m	10.11 s	1.2 m / s
3rd July 1989	IAAF Super Grand Prix ( DN Galan )	Stockholm	1	Long jump	8.53 m	0.3 m / s
Aug 16, 1989	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	100 m	10.09 s	−0.7 m / s
Aug 18, 1989	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	Long jump	8.38 m	0.0 m / s
Aug 25, 1989	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	5	200 m	20.47 s	0.4 m / s
Sep 1 1989	IAAF Golden League (Grand Prix Final)	Monaco	3	100 m	10.30 s	0.4 m / s
June 15, 1990	TAC championships	Norwalk	1	100 m	10.05 s	0.6 m / s
July 12, 1990	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 90)	Lausanne	1	100 m	10.09 s	−0.2 m / s
July 14, 1990	IAAF Golden League ( Bislett Games )	Oslo	1	100 m	10.26 s	−1.5 m / s
July 23, 1990	Goodwill Games	Seattle	2	100 m	10.08 s	1.1 m / s
July 25, 1990	Goodwill Games	Seattle	1	Long jump	8.38 m	1.4 m / s
Sep 7 1990	IAAF Golden League (Grand Prix Final)	Athens	3	100 m	10.12 s	0.4 m / s
June 14, 1991	TAC championships	new York	2	100 m	9.93 s	1.9 m / s
June 15, 1991	TAC championships	new York	1	Long jump	8.64 m	1.7 m / s
Aug 3, 1991	IAAF Golden League (Herculis Grand Prix)	Monaco	1	4 × 100 m	37.79 s *	-
Aug 7, 1991	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	2	100 m	10.12 s	-
Aug 7, 1991	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	4 × 100 m	37.67 s *	-
Aug 24, 1991	World championships	Tokyo	1	100 m	9.86 s *	1.2 m / s
Aug 30, 1991	World championships	Tokyo	2	Long jump	8.91 m (w)	2.9 m / s
Sep 1 1991	World championships	Tokyo	1	4 × 100 m	37.50 s *	-
Feb 28, 1992	TAC indoor championships	new York	1	Long jump	8.35 m	-
July 20, 1992	US Olympic eliminations	New Orleans	6th	100 m	10.28 s	−0.7 m / s
July 24, 1992	US Olympic eliminations	New Orleans	2	Long jump	8.53 m	0.0 m / s
July 28, 1992	US Olympic eliminations	New Orleans	4th	200 m	20.15 s	1.0 m / s
Aug 6, 1992	Olympic games	Barcelona	1	Long jump	8.67 m	−0.7 m / s
Aug 8, 1992	Olympic games	Barcelona	1	4 × 100 m	37.40 s *	-
Aug 11, 1992	IAAF Golden League (Herculis Grand Prix)	Monaco	1	100 m	10.15 s	0.0 m / s
Aug 19, 1992	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	1	100 m	10.07 s	−0.7 m / s
4th Sep 1992	IAAF Golden League (Grand Prix Final)	Turin	2	100 m	10.18 s	0.5 m / s
June 17, 1993	USATF Championships	Eugene	3	100 m	9.90 s (w)	4.8 m / s
June 19, 1993	USATF Championships	Eugene	2	200 m	20.07 s (w)	2.5 m / s
July 7, 1993	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 93)	Lausanne	2	100 m	10.07 s	0.8 m / s
Aug 4, 1993	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	4th	100 m	10.07 s	0.0 m / s
Aug 4, 1993	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	2	4 × 100 m	38.19 s	-
Aug 11, 1993	IAAF Golden League (Herculis Grand Prix)	Monaco	4th	200 m	20.31 s	−0.3 m / s
Aug 15, 1993	World championships	Stuttgart	4th	100 m	10.02 s	0.3 m / s
Aug 20, 1993	World championships	Stuttgart	3	200 m	19.99 s	0.3 m / s
June 8, 1994	IAAF Golden League ( Golden Gala )	Rome	1	100 m	10.14 s	0.2 m / s
July 24, 1994	Goodwill Games	St. Petersburg	4th	100 m	10.23 s	−1.9 m / s
July 29, 1994	Goodwill Games	St. Petersburg	1	4 × 100 m	38.30 s	-
June 16, 1995	USATF Championships	Sacramento	6th	100 m	10.32 s	−1.2 m / s
June 18, 1995	USATF Championships	Sacramento	2	Long jump	8.45 m (w)	6.0 m / s
3rd July 1995	IAAF Golden League ( Meeting Gaz de France )	Paris	5	100 m	10.32 s	k. A.
5th July 1995	IAAF Super Grand Prix (Athletissima 95)	Lausanne	8th	200 m	20.53 s (w)	2.3 m / s
July 15, 1996	US Olympic eliminations	Atlanta	8th	100 m	10.21 s	1.1 m / s
July 19, 1996	US Olympic eliminations	Atlanta	3	Long jump	8.30 m	−0.2 m / s
July 22, 1996	US Olympic eliminations	Atlanta	5	200 m	20.20 s	1.7 m / s
23 Aug 1996	IAAF Golden League ( Memorial Van Damme )	Brussels	3	100 m	10.10 s	k. A.
Aug 29, 1996	Olympic games	Atlanta	1	Long jump	8.50 m	−1.3 m / s
July 7, 1997	IAAF Super Grand Prix ( DN Galan )	Stockholm	1	4 × 100 m	38.31 s	-
Aug 13, 1997	IAAF Golden League ( World Class Zurich )	Zurich	HF	HF	100 m	10.51 s	−0.6 m / s
Aug 26, 1997	IAAF Golden League (ISTAF)	Berlin	1	4 × 100 m	38.24 s	-

* At the time of the creation of the official world record
HF semifinals
(w) Result too favored by wind

Personal best

open air
100 m	9.86 s (1.2 m / s)	August 24, 1991	Tokyo
200 m	19.75 s (1.5 m / s)	June 19, 1983	Indianapolis
Long jump	8.87 m (−0.2 m / s)	August 30, 1991	Tokyo
4 × 100 m	37.40 s (USA)	August 8, 1992	Barcelona
4 × 200 m	1: 18.68 min (Santa Monica TC)	April 17, 1994	Walnut
Hall
50 yds	5.31 s	February 13, 1981	Toronto
60 yds	6.02 s	5th February 1983	Dallas
50 m	5.72 s	17th February 1984	San Diego
55 m	6.09 s	February 14, 1987	East Rutherford
60 m	6.60 s	February 10, 1989	San Sebastian
200 m	20.75 s	March 4th 1992	San Sebastian
Long jump	8.79 m *	January 27, 1984	New York City

• current indoor world record (status 03/2021)

100 meters

Apart from the Olympic successes and world championship titles, it was above all the sporting battles on the tartan track that made Carl Lewis one of the world's most popular athletes. Above all, the rivalry with the Canadian Ben Johnson , which reached its peak in 1987 and 1988, contributed significantly to Lewis' ascent to superstar and first big earner in athletics. Lewis stayed under ten seconds a total of 27 times in his career, 15 of them under regular conditions. At least until the beginning of the 1990s, he was considered the sprinter with the highest level of performance worldwide on this route. During this time he set a new world record twice and also set the existing record twice (see list of men's athletics world records by sport from 1971 )

Development of personal best (100 m)

date	Time	wind	Competition / location
June 16, 1980	10.21 s	−4.0 m / s	TAC Junior Championships / Knoxville
May 16, 1981	10.00 s	0.0 m / s	Southwest Conference / Dallas
May 15, 1982	10.00 s	1.9 m / s	California Relays / Modesto
May 14, 1983	9.97 s	1.5 m / s	S&W Classic / Modesto
Aug 30, 1987	9.93 s *	1.0 m / s	World Championships / Rome
Aug 17, 1988	9.93 s *	1.1 m / s	World class Zurich / Zurich
Sep 24 1988	9.92 s *	1.1 m / s	Olympic Games / Seoul
Aug 24, 1991	9.86 s *	1.2 m / s	World Championships / Tokyo

* Official world record at the time of creation

200 metres

Despite "only" one Olympic gold or silver medal and a third place at the world championships, Lewis was considered the most consistent sprinter on this route, similar to half the distance. He stayed a total of ten times below the limit of 20 seconds (all regular), a level of performance that was only achieved or exceeded a few years later by Frank Fredericks and Michael Johnson .

Development of personal best (200 m)

date	Time	wind	Competition / location
May 16, 1980	21.04 s	k. A.	Southwest Conference (preliminary) / Waco
May 17, 1980	20.68 s	0.7 m / s	Southwest Conference / Waco
June 17, 1980	20.66 s	-1.8 m / s	TAC Junior Championships / Knoxville
Apr 17, 1982	20.27 s	0.2 m / s	Jenner Classic / San Jose
May 28, 1983	20.16 s	0.5 m / s	Jenner Classic / San Jose
June 19, 1983	19.75 s	1.5 m / s	TAC Championships / Indianapolis

Long jump

Despite his sometimes legendary appearances in the sprint, Carl Lewis had repeatedly affirmed that the long jump was his actual favorite discipline. Here he gained his first experience in athletics. The first official personal record dates back to 1974 when he reached a distance of 5.51 m at the age of thirteen.

After Lewis finished second behind his compatriot Larry Myricks at the TAC Indoor Championships in 1981 , he remained unbeaten in 65 competitions over the next ten years. It was not until the legendary duel against Mike Powell during the 1991 World Championships that Lewis suffered a defeat again.

Although he never held the outdoor world record, Carl Lewis was considered the most consistent long jumper. His competitions were mostly characterized by a high level of consistency. Examples of this are, in addition to his unmatched series of jumps in Tokyo 1991, the World Championships in Rome four years earlier. Here Lewis achieved a width of between 8.60 m and 8.67 m in four rounds in regular conditions. For comparison: Robert Emmijan , who placed second , reached 8.53 m in his best attempt. In the course of his career, Carl Lewis exceeded the 8.5 m 75 times during a competition, 64 of them under regular conditions. This balance has not yet been achieved by any other jumper. In addition, Lewis set three indoor world records. His record of 8.79 m from 1984 is still valid today. (As of March 2021)

Development of personal best (long jump)

date	Expanse	wind	Competition / location
June 24, 1978	7.55 m	k. A.	TAC Junior Championships / Bloomington
July 22, 1978	7.57 m	k. A.	East Coast Invitational / Towson
July 30, 1978	7.57 m	k. A.	National Age Group / Memphis
March 5th 1979	7.76 m	-	Eastern States / Princeton
June 9, 1979	7.90 m	k. A.	International Prep Invitational / Naperville
June 9, 1979	8.07 m	k. A.	International Prep Invitational / Naperville
7th July 1979	8.13 m	k. A.	Pan American Games / San Juan
Feb. 20, 1981	8.26 m	-	Southwest Conference / Fort Worth
Feb. 20, 1981	8.49 m *	-	Southwest Conference / Fort Worth
June 20, 1981	8.62 m	k. A.	TAC Championships / Sacramento
July 24, 1982	8.76 m	1.0 m / s	USOC Sports Festival / Indianapolis
June 19, 1983	8.79 m	1.9 m / s	TAC Championships / Indianapolis
Jan. 27, 1984	8.79 m *	-	Millrose Games / New York City
Aug 30, 1991	8.87 m	-0.2 m / s	World Championships / Tokyo

• At the time of the creation of the official indoor world record

series

With a few exceptions, Carl Lewis was usually used as the final runner. With the 4 x 100 meter relay, he won two Olympic gold medals and three world championships. He was involved in a total of twelve relay races, which were faster than 38 seconds. The world record was improved six times, most recently to a time of 37.40 s. This record, which was achieved at the 1992 Olympic Games, has not yet been beaten by any other US relay and was also the valid world record for a period of 16 years. In addition to the 4 x 100 meter relay, Lewis occasionally played the non-Olympic 4 x 200 meter relay, where he was involved in a total of three world record runs. In 1994 a new world record was set with 1: 18.68 minutes, which was only broken in 2014 by the Jamaican relay in Nassau .

Development of personal best (4 × 100 m)

date	Time	team	Competition / location
17th July 1980	38.61 s	United States	Philadelphia
July 24, 1982	38.27 s	USOCSF	Indianapolis
Aug 18, 1982	38.13 s	United States	World class Zurich / Zurich
Aug 10, 1983	37.86 s *	United States	World Championships / Helsinki
Aug 11, 1984	37.83 s *	United States	Olympic Games / Los Angeles
Aug 3, 1991	37.79 s *	Santa Monica TC	Herculis Grand Prix / Monaco
Aug 7, 1991	37.67 s *	United States	World class Zurich / Zurich
Sep 1 1991	37.50 s *	United States	World Championships / Tokyo
Aug 8, 1992	37.40 s *	United States	Olympic Games / Barcelona

* Official world record at the time of creation

Trainer

In 2014, Lewis became an assistant coach at the University of Houston . In 2020, the reigning long jump world champion Malaika Mihambo announced that she would train with him in Houston from now on.

politics

Lewis is a member of the Democratic Party . He announced his candidacy for the New Jersey Senate in April 2011 : "I am ready to serve the taxpayers of this wonderful state that has made so much possible for me." A little later, the Republican lieutenant governor of New Jersey, Kim Guadagno , said Lewis is not allowed to compete because he had not previously lived in the state for at least four years, as required. The relevant federal district court initially ruled in Lewis' favor, but reversed its verdict after an objection from Republicans in Burlington County . As a result, Lewis declared his election campaign over in September 2011; he also ruled out running against Republican incumbent Jon Runyan in the 2012 congressional election.

Private

Lewis has been a vegan since 1990 . His mother Evelyn Lawler was a successful athlete in the early 1950s, his sister is the former long jumper and Olympian Carol Lewis .

Filmography (selection)

• 1989: Cannonball Fever - It only really starts on the highway when he is jogging himself ( cameo )
• 2002: Atomic Twister - Storm of Doom , as Stu
• 2003: Alien Hunter - Mystery in Antarctica (Alien Hunter)

Awards

• World Athlete of the Year - Track & Field News 1982, 1983, 1984
• World Athlete of the Year - The International Athletic Foundation (1988, 1991)
• Athletics legend - IAAF 1997 (awarded for his great sporting success on the occasion of his departure from competitive sport)
• World Athlete of the Century - IAAF 1999
• Save the World Award - 2009 in Austria
• Prince of Asturias Prize 1996
• World Sportsman of the Year ( L'Équipe ) 1983, 1984, 1991
• World Sportsman of the Year ( La Gazzetta dello Sport ): 1983, 1984, 1988, 1991
• Associated Press Athlete of the Year - 1983, 1984
• Induction into the IAAF Hall of Fame - 2012

See also

• List of the most successful summer Olympians

Web links

Commons : Carl Lewis  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Carl Lewis
• Carl Lewis in the database of World Athletics (English)
• Entry into the Hall of Fame at USA Track & Field
• Carl Lewis in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ An ex-USOC official says some athletes were allowed to bend the drug rules . ( Memento of August 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Sports Illustrated , 15. April 2003.
2. ↑ USA sport threatens new scandal: Carl Lewis under suspicion of doping ( Memento from August 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) In: Rheinische Post , April 17, 2003. Carl Lewis's positive test covered up . In: The Sydney Morning Herald , April 18, 2003. Likewise: Lewis: “Who cares I failed drug test?” In: The Guardian , April 24, 2003.
3. ↑ World ranking list of all official 100 meter results (men). Alltime athletics
4. ↑ World ranking list of all official 200 meter results (men). Alltime athletics
5. ↑ World ranking list of all official long jump results (men). Alltime athletics
6. ↑ World ranking list of all official 4 x 100 meter results (men). Alltime athletics
7. ↑ Carl Lewis: 'Biggest regret' was leaving UH early
8. ↑ Carl Lewis is the new coach of Malaika Mihambo
9. ^ Carl Lewis ends his 8th District state Senate bid, rules out run against Runyan . PolitickerNJ
10. ^ Introduction by Carl Lewis. In: Jannequin Bennett, Carl Lewis: Very Vegetarian. Routless Hill Press, 2001, pp. Vii-x.
11. ↑ History Of T & FN's Athletes Of The Year . ( Memento from May 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Track & Field News
12. ^ The International Athletic Foundation At a Glance . ( Memento of February 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) IAAF
13. ↑ Carl Lewis at the IAF World Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo will receive award for his legendary career . IAAF, November 18, 1997
14. ^ Lewis and Blankers-Koen voted top athletes of the 20th century - Johnson and Szabo the athletes of 1999 . ( Memento of November 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) IAAF, November 22, 1999