Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis
Lewis in 2023
Personal information
Full nameFrederick Carlton Lewis[1]
NicknameCarl Lewis[1]
Born (1961-07-01) July 1, 1961[1]
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.[1]
Home townWillingboro, New Jersey, U.S.[2]
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1]
Weight176 lb (80 kg)[1]
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, 4 × 100 m relay
College teamHouston Cougars
ClubSanta Monica Track Club
Retired1997
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 100 m: 9.86 (Tokyo, 1991)
  • 200 m: 19.75 (Indianapolis, 1983)
  • Long jump: 8.87 (8.91* +2.3m/s wind) (Tokyo, 1991)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
International athletics competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 9 1 0
World Championships 8 1 1
Pan American Games 2 0 1
Goodwill Games 3 1 1
Total 22 3 3
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
100 m 5 1 1
200 m 1 1 1
4 × 100 m relay 8 0 0
Long jump 8 1 1
Olympic Games
1984 Los Angeles 100 m
1984 Los Angeles 200 m
1984 Los Angeles 4 × 100 m relay
1984 Los Angeles Long jump
1988 Seoul 100 m
1988 Seoul Long jump
1992 Barcelona 4 × 100 m relay
1992 Barcelona Long jump
1996 Atlanta Long jump
1988 Seoul 200 m
World Championships
1983 Helsinki 100 m
1983 Helsinki 4 × 100 m relay
1983 Helsinki Long jump
1987 Rome 100 m
1987 Rome 4 × 100 m relay
1987 Rome Long jump
1991 Tokyo 100 m
1991 Tokyo 4 × 100 m relay
1991 Tokyo Long jump
1993 Stuttgart 200 m
Pan American Games
1987 Indianapolis Long jump
1987 Indianapolis 4 × 100 m relay
1979 San Juan Long jump
Goodwill Games
1986 Moscow 4 × 100 m relay
1990 Seattle Long jump
1994 Saint Petersburg 4 × 100 m relay
1990 Seattle 100 m
1986 Moscow 100 m
Olympic Boycott Games
1980 Philadelphia 4 × 100 m relay
1980 Philadelphia Long jump

Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper whose career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won the Olympic long jump. He is one of six athletes to win gold in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games, and is one of two people to win gold in the same individual athletics event in four Olympic Games, along with USA discus thrower Al Oerter. He is the head track and field coach for the University of Houston.

Lewis topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump over a span of ten years is one of the sport's longest undefeated streaks. Lewis broke 10 seconds for the 100 meters fifteen times and 20 seconds for the 200 meters ten times. He also long jumped over 8.53 metres (28 ft) 71 times.

His accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations, "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee, "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Athlete of the Year" by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, and 1984.

After retiring from athletics, Lewis became an actor and has appeared in a number of films. In 2011, he attempted to run for a seat as a Democrat in the New Jersey Senate, but was removed from the ballot due to the state's residency requirement. Lewis owns a marketing and branding company named C.L.E.G., which markets and brands products and services, including his own.

  1. ^ a b c d e f Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Carl Lewis". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  2. ^ Team USA | Carl Lewis. Team USA. Retrieved August 5, 2024.