Mike Powell (long jumper) facts for kids
Mike Powell at a press conference, where he announced his plan to attempt breaking a World Masters record.
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| Full name | Michael Anthony Powell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 10, 1963 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 170 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Long jump | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Randy Huntington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on August 6, 2012. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Anthony Powell, born on November 10, 1963, is a famous American track and field athlete. He holds the amazing long jump world record. Mike Powell also won two world championships and two Olympic silver medals in long jump. He set his incredible world record of 8.95 meters on August 30, 1991.
Contents
Meet Mike Powell: A Long Jump Legend
Early Life and School Years
Mike Powell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in West Covina, California, and went to Edgewood High School. In high school, he was already a talented athlete. He could jump over 7 feet (about 2 meters) in the high jump! After high school, he studied at the University of California, Irvine. Later, he moved to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Becoming a World Record Holder
Mike Powell started his professional career strong. He won the British AAA Championships in 1987.
In 1988, he earned a silver medal in the long jump. This was at the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.
Then came his most famous moment. On August 30, 1991, in Tokyo, Japan, Mike Powell made history. He broke Bob Beamon's long jump world record. This record had stood for nearly 23 years! Powell jumped an incredible 8.95 meters. This jump is still the world record today. It is the longest-standing long jump record ever! For this amazing achievement, he received the James E. Sullivan Award. He also won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award in 1991.
Mike Powell also made a very long jump of 8.99 meters in 1992. This jump had a strong wind helping him. It happened in Sestriere, Italy, which is a high-altitude place. He won another long jump silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. In 1993, he won his second world championship in Stuttgart, Germany. He later earned a bronze medal at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
During his career, Mike Powell even tried other sports challenges. He competed in the Foot Locker Slam Fest, trying to dunk a basketball from the free throw line. He retired from professional long jumping after the 1996 Summer Olympics. He finished fifth in the long jump at those Games. Mike Powell tried to return to competition for the 2004 Summer Olympics. However, he did not make the American team that year.
Life After Competitive Jumping
After retiring, Mike Powell worked as a sports analyst. He helped cover Olympic Track & Field for Yahoo! Sports. In July 2009, he announced plans to return to competition. He wanted to try and break the Masters world record for long jumpers over 45 years old.
In 2015, Mike Powell officially announced he would compete again. He entered the Athletics New Zealand Track and Field Championships. This was on March 7, 2015, in Wellington, New Zealand. He hoped to break the World Masters record. Sadly, he got injured during warm-ups and could not compete.
Mike Powell's family also has athletic talent. In July 2016, his daughter, Micha Powell, was chosen for Canada's Olympic team. She was an alternate for the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her mother, Rosey Edeh, was also an Olympian. She competed in the 400 meters hurdles at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Mike Powell coached long jump at the Azusa Pacific University in California during the 2023 season. However, in 2025, he was no longer allowed to participate in activities approved by World Athletics. This decision was made by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
See also
In Spanish: Mike Powell para niños
