Hall of Fame

Carl Lewis

Track and Field

Olympian in Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games

Born:
July 1, 1961
Birthplace:
Birmingham, Alabama
Hometown:
Willingboro Township, New Jersey
College:
University of Houston

hall of fame

Carl Lewis

Track and Field

Olympian in Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games

Born:
July 1, 1961
Birthplace:
Birmingham, Alabama
Hometown:
Willingboro Township, New Jersey
College:
University of Houston
Carl Lewis is one of the world’s greatest athletes of all time; 9 of his 10 Olympic medals were gold, including a stunning four track and field gold medals in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
SHARE

Carl Lewis is generally considered one of the world’s greatest athletes ever.

Lewis, who collected nine Olympic gold medals, stood out from the competition for many reasons. He dominated in multiple events: the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the long jump. And he dominated these events for significant durations, winning four consecutive gold medals in the long jump.

The IAAF, which is the international track and field sanctioning body, honored Lewis as the World Athlete of the Century. The International Olympic Committee selected him Sportsman of the Century. Sports Illustrated named him Olympian of the Century.

The accolades, much as the success during Lewis’s remarkable career, are seemingly endless.

The son of two track and field coaches, Lewis established himself as an elite athlete at a young age. He set the national high school long jump record and as a freshman at the University of Houston, qualified in the long jump and 4×100-meter relay for the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.

Because of the American boycott, Lewis had to wait four more years to make his Olympic debut, but did he ever make a splash at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, matching Jesse Owens’ remarkable haul of four gold medals at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games. Lewis took gold in the 100- and 200-meter races, the long jump and the 4×100-meter relay. The only disappointment from the American crowd came in the long jump, where Lewis established his winning mark of 28 feet on his first attempt, fouled on his second attempt and passed on his other attempts in order to rest for his upcoming races instead of taking a run at Bob Beamon’s longstanding world record.

At the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, Lewis initially finished second in the 100-meter dash to Ben Johnson, but the Canadian days later tested positive for a banned substance and Lewis was presented the gold. He also took gold in the long jump and silver in the 200 meters, but never ran in the 4×100-meter relay after his teammates botched a handoff earlier in the race and dropped out.

Lewis failed to qualify in the 100- and 200-meter races for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, but still proved he was gold medal material, winning the long jump and then anchoring the 4×100-meter relay to a world record that would stand for 16 years.

At the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, Lewis again took gold in the long jump.



MEDAL RESULTS
1984 Los Angeles 100m Gold
1984 Los Angeles 200m Gold
1984 Los Angeles Long Jump Gold
1984 Los Angeles 4x100m Relay Gold
1988 Seoul 100m Gold
1988 Seoul Long Jump Gold
1988 Seoul 200m Silver
1992 Barcelona Long Jump Gold
1992 Barcelona 4x100m Relay Gold
1996 Atlanta Long Jump Gold

TICKETS NOW

ON SALE

DISCOUNTS FOR MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDERS, SENIORS, GROUPS AND MORE!​
RELATED GALLERY
connect with us
NEXT UP
One of the best swimmers who has ever competed for Team USA, Natalie Coughlin won 12 medals over the course of three Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012).
David Kiley competed at five Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball, track and field, and alpine skiing. He won a total of 13 Paralympic medals.
Michelle Kwan sits as the most decorated figure skater – male or female – in the United States, having won 43 championships.
Swimmer Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most successful athlete in the history of the Paralympic Games, having won 55 medals, including 41 gold medals, over seven Paralympics.
Skip to content