Carl Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carl Lewis

Lewis in 2023
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Carl Lewis
Born	(1961-07-01) July 1, 1961 (age 63) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in
Weight	176 lb
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, 4 × 100 m relay
College team	Houston Cougars
Club	Santa Monica Track Club
Retired	1997
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	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 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 Gold 1984 Los Angeles 100 m Gold 1984 Los Angeles 200 m Gold 1984 Los Angeles 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1984 Los Angeles Long jump Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m Gold 1988 Seoul Long jump Gold 1992 Barcelona 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1992 Barcelona Long jump Gold 1996 Atlanta Long jump Silver 1988 Seoul 200 m World Championships Gold 1983 Helsinki 100 m Gold 1983 Helsinki 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1983 Helsinki Long jump Gold 1987 Rome 100 m Gold 1987 Rome 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1987 Rome Long jump Gold 1991 Tokyo 100 m Gold 1991 Tokyo 4 × 100 m relay Silver 1991 Tokyo Long jump Bronze 1993 Stuttgart 200 m Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis Long jump Gold 1987 Indianapolis 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1979 San Juan Long jump Goodwill Games Gold 1986 Moscow 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1990 Seattle Long jump Gold 1994 Saint Petersburg 4 × 100 m relay Silver 1990 Seattle 100 m Bronze 1986 Moscow 100 m Olympic Boycott Games Gold 1980 Philadelphia 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1980 Philadelphia Long jump

Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961), known as Carl Lewis, is an American former track and field athlete. He is famous for winning nine Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals. Lewis was an amazing sprinter and long jumper. His career lasted from 1979 until 1996, when he won his last Olympic long jump medal.

Carl Lewis is one of only a few athletes to win gold in the same individual event at four Olympic Games in a row. He was a top athlete in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump from the 1980s to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m and in relay races. His indoor long jump world record from 1984 still stands today. Lewis also had an incredible streak of 65 wins in the long jump over ten years.

Because of his many achievements, Lewis has received many awards. He was named "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations and "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. Today, he is the head track and field coach at the University of Houston.

Carl Lewis's Amazing Athletic Career

Early Life and Rising to Fame

Lewis performing the long jump as a University of Houston college athlete

Carl Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 1, 1961. His parents, William and Evelyn Lewis, ran a local athletics club. This club greatly influenced Carl and his sister, Carol. His mother was a hurdler on the 1951 Pan-Am team. Carol also became a top long jumper, winning a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships.

Carl started competing in the long jump at age 13. He showed great promise while training at Willingboro High School in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. After high school in 1979, Lewis broke the high school long jump record. By the end of that year, he was ranked fifth in the world for the long jump.

Lewis chose to attend the University of Houston, where Tom Tellez became his coach. Tellez coached Lewis throughout his entire career. In 1980, Lewis won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) long jump title. He also qualified for the American team for the 1980 Summer Olympics in the long jump and the 4 × 100 m relay. However, the Olympic boycott meant he could not compete in Moscow. Instead, he took part in the Liberty Bell Classic, winning a bronze in the long jump and gold in the relay.

Becoming a World Star in 1981 and 1982

In 1981, Carl Lewis greatly improved his long jump personal best. He leaped 8.62 m (28 ft 3.24507874 in) at the TAC Championships. He also became the fastest 100 m sprinter in the world, running 10.00 s. This was the third-fastest time ever and a record for low-altitude races. For the first time, Lewis was ranked number one in the world for both the 100 m and the long jump. He won his first national titles in these events.

In 1982, Lewis continued to dominate. Many believed he could break Bob Beamon's famous long jump world record of 8.90 m (29 ft 2.26870079 in) from the 1968 Olympics. Lewis jumped over 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m) five times outdoors and twice indoors. He reached 8.76 m (28 ft 8.75688977 in) in Indianapolis. He also ran 10.00 s in the 100 m again. He was named "Athlete of the Year" by Track and Field News. From 1981 to 1992, Lewis was often ranked number one in the 100 m and long jump.

1983: First World Championships Success

The first World Championships were held in 1983. Lewis easily won the long jump in Helsinki with a leap of 8.55 m (28 ft 0.48917323 in). He also won the 100 m race. Later that year, he set an American record in the 200 m with 19.75 s, the second-fastest time in history. Lewis also helped the 4 × 100 m relay team set a new world record of 37.86 s. This was his first world record.

In 1983, Lewis became the first person to run the 100 m under 10 seconds at low altitude, with a time of 9.97 s in Modesto. He also set a new low-altitude record in the long jump, 8.79 m (28 ft 9.93799213 in). He was again named "Athlete of the Year".

1984 Summer Olympics: Matching Jesse Owens

Lewis sprinting at the 1984 Summer Olympics

At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Carl Lewis aimed to win four gold medals. This would match the amazing achievement of Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games.

• He won the 100 m with a time of 9.99 s.
• In the long jump, Lewis won easily with his first jump of 8.54 m (28 ft 0.09547244 in). He decided not to take more jumps to avoid injury, as he still had other events. Some fans booed, wanting to see him try for a new world record.
• His third gold came in the 200 m, where he set a new Olympic record of 19.80 s.
• Finally, he anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team to a new world record of 37.83 s, earning his fourth gold medal.

Challenges and the 1987 World Championships

After the 1984 Olympics, Lewis continued to dominate the long jump, staying undefeated for seven years. However, other sprinters began to challenge him in the 100 m. Canadian Ben Johnson became his main rival. In 1986, Johnson beat Lewis at the Goodwill Games, setting a new low-altitude record of 9.95 s.

At the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome, Lewis focused on the long jump and the 4 × 100 m relay. He won gold in both, anchoring the relay team to a very fast time of 37.90 s. The 100 m final was highly anticipated. Johnson won with a stunning new world record of 9.83 s. Lewis finished second with 9.93 s, which tied the old world record, but it wasn't enough for gold.

1988 Summer Olympics: A Historic Race

The 100 m final at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul was one of the most talked-about races ever. Ben Johnson won in 9.79 s, setting a new world record. Lewis finished second with a new American record of 9.92 s. However, three days later, Johnson failed a drug test. His medal was taken away, and Carl Lewis was awarded the gold medal and credited with a new Olympic record.

In the long jump, Lewis leaped 8.72 m (28 ft 7.18208662 in), an Olympic best for low-altitude. He won gold, leading an American sweep of the medals. In the 200 m, Lewis ran 19.79 s, but finished second to Joe DeLoach. In the 4 × 100 m relay, the American team was disqualified in a heat, so Lewis did not get to run.

Later, Lewis was officially recognized as the 100 m world record holder for his 9.92 s run in Seoul. He was also declared the 1987 100 m World Champion.

1991 World Championships: Unforgettable Performances

The 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo saw some of Carl Lewis's greatest races. In the 100 m final, Lewis faced top rivals. He not only won but also set a new world record of 9.86 s. This was the first time he crossed the finish line knowing he had broken the world record. He called it "The best race of my life." This record stood for nearly three years. Lewis also anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team to another world record of 37.50 s.

Long Jump Showdown with Mike Powell

The 1991 World Championships are also famous for the long jump final. Carl Lewis competed against Mike Powell, who had won silver at the 1988 Olympics. Lewis had not lost a long jump competition in ten years, winning 65 meets in a row.

Lewis started strong with a jump of 8.68 m (28 ft 5.60728347 in). In the third round, he jumped a wind-aided 8.83 m (28 ft 11.51279528 in). Then, in the fourth round, Lewis made history with a wind-aided leap of 8.91 m (29 ft 2.66240158 in). This was the longest jump ever, even if it couldn't be a record due to the wind.

Powell responded with an incredible jump of 8.95 m (29 ft 4.23720473 in). This jump was legal and broke Bob Beamon's 23-year-old world record! Lewis still had two jumps left. He leaped 8.87 m (29 ft 1.08759843 in), a new personal best under legal wind conditions, and then 8.84 m (28 ft 11.90649607 in). He lost his first long jump competition in a decade. Powell's 8.95 m (29 ft 4.23720473 in) and Lewis's last two jumps are still among the top low-altitude jumps ever.

Lewis praised Powell, saying, "He just did it. It was that close, and it was the best of his life." Lewis called his efforts at the 1991 World Championships "the greatest meet that I've ever had."

Final Years and Retirement

Lewis in Washington, D.C. in 1996

After 1991, Lewis's dominance in sprints and long jump began to fade. In 1992, he did not qualify for the Olympic team in the 100 m or 200 m. However, he did qualify for the long jump and the 4 × 100 m relay. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Lewis won gold in the long jump with 8.67 m (28 ft 5.21358268 in). He also anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team to another world record of 37.40 s, which stood for 16 years.

In 1993, Lewis competed at the World Championships in Stuttgart. He finished fourth in the 100 m but won his first World Championship medal in the 200 m, a bronze. Injuries affected him for the next few years.

In 1996, Lewis qualified for the Olympic long jump for the fifth time. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he won gold with a jump of 8.50 m (27 ft 10.52066930 in). This made him the third Olympian to win the same individual event four times. His nine gold medals also tie him for second on the list of multiple Olympic gold medalists.

Lewis retired from track and field in 1997.

Achievements and Honors

An Azerbaijan stamp honoring Lewis, issued in 1996

• Lewis was the only man to successfully defend an Olympic long jump title three times (four gold medals in four consecutive Olympics) until 2024.
• He holds many of the longest legal long jumps in history.

Personal Best Marks

• 100 m: 9.86 s (August 1991, Tokyo)
• 200 m: 19.75 s (June 1983, Indianapolis)
• Long jump: 8.87 m (29 ft 1.08759843 in) (1991, Tokyo)
• 4 × 100 m relay: 37.40 s (United States – August 1992, Barcelona)

Awards and Recognition

In 1999, Lewis was voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. He was also named "World Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations and "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. In 2000, the University of Houston named the Carl Lewis International Complex after him. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2010.

Carl Lewis's Life After Athletics

Film and Television Appearances

Lewis in July 2009

Carl Lewis has appeared in several films and TV shows. He played himself in shows like Perfect Strangers and movies like Speed Zone. He also appeared in the TV movie Atomic Twister. In 2024, he was on the Spanish version of Masked Singer.

Attempt at Politics

In 2011, Lewis tried to run for a seat in the New Jersey Senate. However, he was removed from the ballot. This was because he did not meet the state's rule that candidates must live in New Jersey for four years.

Coaching Career

Since 2023, Carl Lewis has been the head track and field coach at his old college, the University of Houston. He used to be an assistant coach there.

Personal Life

Carl Lewis has a son named Bakim.

Lewis became a vegan in 1990. He has said that his excellent results in 1991 were partly thanks to his vegan diet. He believes that eating a vegan diet can help improve athletic performance.