On August 4, 1984, United States Olympian
Carl Lewis wins the Gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the Los Angeles Summer
Olympics.
In addition to winning the Gold medal in the 100-meter dash,
Lewis won the 200-meter spring, 4x100-meter relay and the long jump at the 1984
Olympics.
In 1988 is Seoul, Lewis continues his reign in the 100-meter
dash by earning his fifth Olympic Gold medal, and his sixth with the Gold medal
in the long jump as well. He wouldn’t be able to keep his streak of Gold medals
alive though as he earned a Silver medal in the 200-meter dash.
In 1992 in Barcelona, Lewis won Gold in the 4x100-meter relay
and the long jump.
In the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta Lewis earned his ninth
Gold medal of his Olympics career, also his last in the long jump.
But it wasn’t just at the Olympics where Lewis shined, in
the Inaugural World Championships in 1983 at Helsinki, Lewis took Gold in the
100-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay and long jump.
In the 1987 World Championships in Rome, he earned Gold in
all three events again, topping the field in the 100-meter dash, 4x100-meter
relay and long jump.
Again in 1991 at the World Championships in Tokyo, Lewis
continued his reign on the track taking Gold in both the 100-meter dash and the
4x100-meter relay.
"The best race of my life," Lewis said of his
100-meter dash. "The best technique, the fastest. And I did it at
thirty."
Lewis was referring to what would be the deepest 100 meters
race ever to that time, with six men finishing in under ten seconds, with Lewis
not only defeating his opponents, but he reclaimed the world record with a
clocking of 9.86 seconds. Lewis's world record would stand for nearly three
years.
However, he was dethroned in the long jump, taking home his
only Silver medal in his World Championships career.
Lewis would be dethroned by Mike Powell who took Silver
behind Lewis at the Olympics in 1988.
The two battled, in what is considered by some to have been
one of greatest competitions ever in any sport.
Powell's 8.95 meter jump and Lewis's final two jumps of 8.87
and 8.84 meters still stand as of October 2011 as the top three low altitude
jumps ever. The farthest anyone has jumped since under legal conditions is 8.74
meters.
In reference to his efforts at the 1991 World Championships,
Lewis said, “This has been the greatest meet that I’ve ever had.”
In 1993 at the Stuttgart World Championships, Lewis placed
third, taking home his only Bronze medal in World Championships competition.
At the San Juan Pan American Games in 1979, Lewis took
Bronze in the long jump before coming back for Gold at the 1987 Indianapolis
Pan American Games. He also took Gold in the 4x100-meter relay.
In the Goodwill Games of 1986 in Moscow, Lewis took home
Gold in the 4x100-meter relay, but was only able to grab Bronze in the
100-meter dash.
The 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle saw Lewis take Silver in
the 100-meter dash while taking Gold in the long jump.
At the 1994 St. Petersburg Goodwill Games, Lewis took Gold
in his only event, the 4x100-meter relay.
In the Olympic Boycott Games of 1980 in Philadelphia Lewis
took Bronze in the long jump.
Lewis goes down as one of most glorified American athletes
with his nine Gold and one Silver medal in Olympic competitions.
