Carl Lewis: Four Long Jump Golds The Olympic Pinnacle
Carl Lewis says winning four successive Olympic long jump titles was the stand-out moment of a star-studded career during which he pioneered professionalism in a bid to leave track and.
Carl Lewis says winning four successive Olympic long jump titles was the stand-out moment of a star-studded career during which he pioneered professionalism in a bid to leave track and field in a better place.
Lewis showed remarkable longevity to claim long jump golds at the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
The 63-year-old American's Olympic haul also included five more golds -- including back-to-back 100m titles in Los Angeles and Seoul -- and a silver. He is also an eight-time world champion.
Taking inspiration from Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Lewis admitted to having wanted to be a "global superstar" capable of entertaining crowds.
He emulated Owens' feat at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
But his life in track and field did not come without problems, least of all the backlash from Olympic officials and the then-governing body of athletics (IAAF) to his role in pushing for athletes to be properly financially rewarded.
"It was in November 2022 when I pulled the last knife out of my back!" Lewis told a small group of journalists at the world relay championships in Bahamas earlier this year.
"I knew early on that I was going to get those knives in my back, but the bigger picture was more important."
Lewis was in no doubt that his "proudest moment" was winning "four in a row".
"I tried four times to win four gold medals and I only did it once.
"When I went to Los Angeles in 1984, there were kids in the stands with their parents. And when I was in Atlanta in 1996, there was a guy that said 'my father took me to see you in LA and now this is my son and I'm taking him to see you in Atlanta'. That was pretty crazy."
