Olympics A to Z: Five things you should know about Carl Lewis

The American track and field athlete won nine Olympic Gold medals during his career.

Carl Lewis is one of the most celebrated athletes of all time. His sporting accomplishments between 1979-1996 makes him one of the legendary figures in the world of Athletics.

Born in in Birmingham, Alabama on July 1 in 1961, he was raised in Willingboro, New Jersey. Carl Lewis got the taste of track from a very young age by competing in local clubs. He became the top amateur athlete in the United States in 1981 after winning both the 100 meters and the long jump at the collegiate championships.

Lewis was the second person to win both the titles in NCAA history. After that, he was unstoppable. The athlete also appeared in various TV Series and films in his career. He also ran for the New Jersey state Senate seat at one point of time in his glorious career. However, he ended his run for the post after a federal appeals court ruled against him in 2011.

Here are the top five achievements of the legendary athlete.

5. Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1983

The Associated Press (AP) initiated the first-ever recognition of athletes in the USA in 1931 by introducing the Athlete of the Year award.  In 1983 after Carl's brilliant performances at various events, he was awarded the Athlete of the Year by Associated Press. 

This award brought a lot of credibility and opportunities for Lewis, as was evident in his journey at the Olympics. 

4. First Ever 100m and Long Jump World Champion

The World Athletics Championships are a biennial Athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). It was established in 1976. It is the second most prestigious 100m title in Athletics after the 100 meters at the Olympics.

The tournament usually consists of two or three qualifying rounds, followed by an eight-athlete final. Carl Lewis became the first-ever champion at 100 meters and Long Jump at the World Championships in Athletics. He won both titles at the 1983 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

3. Sportsman of the Century

After his mind-boggling record at the Olympics and winning a total of 10 medals (nine Gold and one silver), he was named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Carl achieved this title for his outstanding performances and achievements. However, he was never universally popular, for his aloof attitude rankling with rivals and spectators.

2. First Olympic Athlete to win consecutive Gold medals in Long Jump

Carl Lewis is the only athlete to win four straight long-jump Gold medals at the Olympic Games. He won consecutive medals in Olympics from 1984 to 1996 in his favourite event.

The star athlete grabbed two Gold medals along with a Silver at the 1988 Olympic 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). He had previously won the Gold in Long Jump during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

The athlete achieved the four best jumps during the Seoul Olympics and his Olympic title was part of a long string of consecutive long-jump victories that stretched over several years during the 1980s. His second Gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games came in 100 meters (9.92 sec). He clinched the medal after Canadian Ben Johnson, who had won in world-record time (9.79 sec), was disqualified three days after testing positive for anabolic steroids.

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1. Nine Gold Medals

Carl Lewis went on a Gold medal spree after his 100 meters victory at the 1984 Olympics. He was transcendent, setting an Olympic record by besting the next closest runner by a record eight feet. The American also won three additional Gold medals in the Long Jump, 200 meters and 4x100 relay events.

The American competed in three more editions of the tournament - 1988 Seoul Olympics, 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Lewis won nine Gold medals, including his final in 1996 in the Long Jump. That same year, he regained the No. 1 spot in the event.

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