Carl Lewis

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Lore & Background

Carl Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 1, 1961, to William and Evelyn Lewis. His mother was a hurdler on the 1951 Pan-Am team, and his parents ran a local athletics club. Lewis was initially coached by his father and later by Tom Tellez at the University of Houston, who remained his coach for his entire career. Days after graduating high school in 1979, Lewis broke the high school long jump record with a leap of 8.13 m. He won the 1980 NCAA title with a wind-assisted jump of 8.35 m and qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the boycott; he instead participated in the Liberty Bell Classic, winning bronze in the long jump with 7.77 m and gold in the 4 × 100 m relay with a time of 38.61 s. He received one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created for the 1980 U.S. Summer Olympics team. Lewis broke through in 1981, running 10.00 s in the 100 m at the Southwest Conference Championships on May 16—the third-fastest in history and the low-altitude record—and leaping 8.62 m at the TAC Championships on June 20. He earned his first world number-one rankings in both the 100 m and long jump, won his first national titles, and received the James E. Sullivan Award. In 1982, he cleared 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m) five times outdoors and twice indoors, going as far as 8.76 m at Indianapolis on July 24. He also ran 10.00 s in the 100 m, the world's fastest time. At the inaugural World Championships in 1983, Lewis won gold in the 100 m (10.07 s), long jump (8.55 m), and 4 × 100 m relay (37.86 s, a world record). He also set an American record in the 200 m that year with 19.75 s on June 19 at the TAC/Mobil Championships, the second-fastest time in history and the low-altitude record. Lewis topped world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m, and long jump frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m relay, and 4 × 200 m relay, and his indoor long jump world record has stood since 1984. He had 65 consecutive victories in the long jump over ten years, broke 10 seconds for the 100 m fifteen times, and long jumped over 8.53 m 71 times. After retiring, he became an actor and attempted to run for a seat as a Democrat in the New Jersey Senate in 2011 but was removed from the ballot due to the state's residency requirement. He owns a marketing and branding company named C.L.E.G., which markets and brands products and services, including his own.

Reader's Guide

Carl Lewis is widely regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes in history. His nine Olympic gold medals and one silver medal, along with eight World Championships golds, place him among the most decorated athletes in the sport. He is one of only six athletes to win gold in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games, and one of two to do so in the same individual athletics event, alongside discus thrower Al Oerter. His dominance in the long jump, with 65 consecutive victories over a decade, and his world records in multiple events underscore his versatility and longevity. Lewis was voted 'World Athlete of the Century' by the International Association of Athletics Federations, 'Sportsman of the Century' by the International Olympic Committee, and 'Olympian of the Century' by Sports Illustrated. He was also named 'Athlete of the Year' by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, and 1984. His career helped elevate track and field's global profile, and his influence extends beyond competition into coaching, as he is the head track and field coach for the University of Houston.

Did You Know?

• Lewis's mother, Evelyn Lawler Lewis, was a hurdler on the 1951 Pan-Am team.
• Days after graduating high school in 1979, Lewis broke the high school long jump record with a leap of 8.13 m.
• At the 1983 TAC Championships, Lewis set an American record in the 200 m with 19.75 s, the second-fastest time in history and the low-altitude record.
• Lewis received one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created specifically for athletes on the 1980 U.S. Summer Olympics team.
• In 2011, Lewis 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.