- In full:
- Frederick Carlton Lewis
- Born:
- July 1, 1961, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. (age 65)
- Awards And Honors:
- Olympic Games
Carl Lewis
-
Who is Carl Lewis?
Carl Lewis (born in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 1, 1961) is an American track-and-field athlete. During the 1980s and 1990s, he won nine Olympic gold medals.
Lewis won gold medals in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, the long jump, and as a member of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He was the third track-and-field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.
At the 1988 Seoul Games, Lewis added two more gold medals and a silver medal, becoming the first Olympian to win consecutive long-jump gold medals. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Lewis won two more gold medals, including his third consecutive long-jump title. In 1997, Lewis officially retired from the sport.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
In which sports did Carl Lewis compete?
Carl Lewis was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, the long jump, and as a member of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team.
At the 1984 Olympic Games, Lewis won gold medals in each of these events. Lewis is one of the most decorated American Olympians in track and field, with nine gold medals and one silver medal.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some of the Olympic events Carl Lewis is famous for?
Carl Lewis is celebrated for his achievements in track and field, securing nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and 1990s.
Lewis's famous Olympic events include:
* 100-meter race He won gold in 1984 and 1988.
* 200-meter race He won gold in 1984.
* Long jump He won gold in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996, becoming the first Olympic athlete to win consecutive gold medals in this event.
* 4 × 100-meter relay He won gold in 1984 and 1992, anchoring the U.S. team.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How many Olympic gold medals did Carl Lewis win?
Carl Lewis, the American track-and-field athlete, secured nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and 1990s.
He won four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Games in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, the long jump, and as part of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team. At the 1988 Games in Seoul, Lewis added two more gold medals and a silver medal. In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Lewis won two more gold medals, and at the age of 35, he won his ninth gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Carl Lewis considered one of the greatest track and field athletes?
Carl Lewis is considered one of the greatest track and field athletes because he won nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and 1990s. At the 1984 Los Angeles Games, he won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter races, the long jump, and as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay team.
Lewis won two more gold medals and a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Games. He was the first Olympic athlete to win consecutive long-jump gold medals. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Lewis won two more gold medals, including his third consecutive long-jump title. In 1997, Lewis officially retired from the sport. Two years later, the International Olympic Committee named him Sportsman of the Century.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Carl Lewis influence the sport of athletics and future athletes?
Carl Lewis, an American track and field athlete, secured nine Olympic gold medals in the 1980s and 1990s, equaling Jesse Owens's 1936 feat of winning gold in the 100-meter, 200-meter, long jump, and 4 × 100-meter relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lewis's achievements include being the first Olympic athlete to win consecutive long-jump gold medals (1988 and 1992). In 1997, he retired from competition and, in 1999, was named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. Despite facing doping accusations later in his career, Lewis's influence remains significant. He established the Carl Lewis Foundation in 2001, promoting fitness and inspiring future athletes.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Carl Lewis (born July 1, 1961, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.) is an American track-and-field athlete, who won nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and ’90s.
Lewis qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980 but did not compete, because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games. At the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Lewis won gold medals in the 100-metre (9.9 sec) and 200-metre (19.8 sec) races, in the long jump (8.54 metres [28.02 feet]), and as a member of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team, which he anchored. Lewis became the third track-and-field athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympics, joining Americans Alvin Kraenzlein (1900) and Jesse Owens, the latter of whom won the same four events at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin that Lewis won in Los Angeles.
Lewis added two more gold medals and a silver medal at the 1988 Games in Seoul, becoming the first Olympic athlete to win consecutive long-jump gold medals, with a leap of 8.72 metres (28.61 feet). Lewis had the four best jumps in the competition, and his Olympic title was part of a long string of consecutive long-jump victories that extended over several years during the 1980s. Lewis’s other gold medal at the 1988 Games came in the 100 metres (9.92 sec), after Canadian Ben Johnson, who had won in world-record time (9.79 sec), was disqualified three days later after testing positive for anabolic steroids. Lewis settled for a silver in the 200 metres.
At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Lewis won two more gold medals, including his third consecutive long-jump title, with a leap of 8.67 metres (28.44 feet). Again anchoring the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team, Lewis won his eighth gold medal as the team set a world and Olympic record of 37.40 sec. At age 35 Lewis was a surprise qualifier in the long jump for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he “ran through” his first jump and notched a ho-hum 8.14 metres (26.71 feet) on his second leap. However, his third leap of 8.5 metres (27.89 feet), though well off any records or personal bests, held up as the top jump and earned Lewis his ninth gold medal. It also was his 10th overall Olympic medal, which made Lewis the most decorated American Olympian in track and field; his medal total was surpassed by Allyson Felix in 2021. In 1997 Lewis retired from competition. Two years later he was named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.
Lewis appeared in numerous films and television series, often portraying himself. He was active in various charities, and in 2001 he established the Carl Lewis Foundation, which focused on promoting fitness. In 2011 Lewis, a Democrat, announced that he was running for a seat in the New Jersey state Senate. However, his candidacy was later challenged over the state’s residency requirement, and in September Lewis withdrew from the race.