Carol Lewis facts for kids

Lewis in 2023
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1963-08-08) August 8, 1963 (age 62) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	159 lb (72 kg)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Club	Santa Monica Track Club
Medal record Representing  United States World Championships Bronze 1983 Helsinki Long jump World Cup Bronze 1985 Canberra Long jump Liberty Bell Classic Silver 1980 Philadelphia Long jump Pan American Junior Championships Silver 1980 Sudbury 100 m hurdles

Carol LeGrant Lewis (born August 8, 1963) is an American former track and field athlete. She was a specialist in the long jump event. Carol won a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships. She also became a US Champion four times.

In 1985, her best long jump was 7.04 meters. This was once the American record for the event. Carol comes from a very athletic family. Her brother is Carl Lewis, who won nine Olympic gold medals. Her other brother, Cleveland Lewis, was a professional soccer player. Her mother, Evelyn Lawler, was also a hurdler.

Carol's Amazing Athletic Journey

Early Career and Olympic Dreams

Carol Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She showed great talent in track and field from a young age. In 1980, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. However, she could not compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics because the United States boycotted the games.

To honor the athletes who missed out, Carol received a special Congressional Gold Medal. She competed in an alternate event called the Liberty Bell Classic. There, she won a silver medal with a jump of 6.60 meters. That same year, she received the Dial Award for her achievements.

While attending Willingboro High School in New Jersey, Carol set a high school indoor long jump record. She jumped 21 ft 7.5 in (6.591 m) in 1981. After high school, she went to the University of Houston, just like her older brother Carl. At the University of Houston, she won two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) long jump championships. She won in 1983 and again in 1985. She also joined her brother at the Santa Monica Track Club.

Becoming a National Champion

Carol won her first USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships title in 1982. This was the first of her four national championships. Her jump of 6.81 meters from that competition is still the United States, North American, and Pan American Junior record.

She continued to succeed in 1983. She won the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also earned a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics.

Olympic Appearances and Record-Breaking Jumps

After winning the Olympic Trials, Carol represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics. At just 20 years old, she finished ninth in the long jump event. The next year, she won the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the second time. She also earned a bronze medal at the World Cup in Athletics.

In August 1985, Carol reached her best performance in Zürich, Switzerland. She set a personal best and broke the American record in the long jump twice at the same competition! Her record of 7.04 meters stood for two years. It was later broken by another famous athlete, Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Carol competed at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She finished ninth with a jump of 6.23 meters. She qualified for her third Olympics in 1988. However, she narrowly missed qualifying for the final by just one centimeter.

Life After Track and Field

After retiring from track and field, Carol Lewis started a new career. She worked as a commentator for NBC Sports. She provided commentary for track events at the 1996, 2000, and 2008 Summer Olympics.

In 2000, Carol also tried a new sport: two-woman bobsled. She did not make the 2002 US Olympic team. However, she served as the brakeman for Shauna Rohbock at the 2002 World Cup in Calgary.

Carol's Best Performances

• All information taken from IAAF Profile.

National Titles and Awards

• 4-time United States long jump champion – 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986
• 4-time United States Indoor long jump champion –1983, 1984, 1985 and 1991
• 2-time NCAA long jump champion – 1983 and 1985

International Competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  United States
1980	Liberty Bell Classic	Philadelphia, United States	2nd	Long jump	6.60 m
	Pan American Junior Championships	Sudbury, Canada	2nd	100 m hurdles	14.62
1983	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	3rd	Long jump	7.00 m
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	9th	Long jump	6.43 m
1985	Grand Prix Final	Rome, Italy	3rd	Long jump	6.73 m
	World Cup	Canberra, Australia	3rd	Long jump	6.88 m
1987	World Indoor Championships	Indianapolis, United States	9th	Long jump	6.23 m
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	13th (q)	Long jump	6.47 m
Results with (q) indicate overall position in qualifying round

See also

In Spanish: Carol Lewis para niños