Carl Lewis is a sprinter and long jumper. Three times in a row (from 1982 to 1984) was recognized as one of the best athletes on the planet. Seven times became the author of the best result of the season in long jumps and three times - in races at a distance of 200 meters. In this article, you will be presented with a brief biography of the athlete.
Childhood
Carl Lewis was born in Birmingham in 1961. The boy's family was athletic. My father trained athletes, and my mother engaged in short-distance running. Therefore, the love of sports was instilled in Karl from childhood. He was involved in athletics, diving, and American football. In addition to sports, the boy was fond of vocals, dancing and music.
At the age of 10, Carl Lewis met in Jesse Owens - the legendary athlete and Olympic champion in 1936. Since then, the boy decided to focus exclusively on athletics. Carl showed the best results in long jump and sprint. Most trainers believed that Lewis should choose only one discipline. But Karl did not want to choose. He decided to become the best in two categories at once.
Pan American and Olympic Games
At age 18, Carl Lewis became a member of the US team and went to the Pan American Games. Due to the incorrectly published schedule, the young man was late for the long jump competition. But after the trial was allowed. Of course, the rivals were unhappy, because Carl won, showing a result of 8.13 meters. Lewis was also ready for the storming of the 1980 Olympic Games, but political circumstances deprived him of such an opportunity. The United States simply boycotted the Olympics in Moscow.
World Championship
In 1983, Carl Lewis, whose nickname is known to all athletics fans, went to Finland (Helsinki). It was there that the first athletics world championship was held. The talented Karl has the opportunity to declare himself as the fastest athlete on the planet. As a result, Lewis immediately won 3 gold medals: in the long jump (8.55), in the race for 100 meters (10.07) and in the relay 4x100 m.
1984 Olympic Games
These competitions marked the start of Karl’s Olympic career. The athlete immediately won four gold medals (200 m - 19.80 s, 100 m - 9.99 s, long jump - 8.71 m, relay 4x100 m). These victories made Lewis a national hero. But this was not the apotheosis of Karl’s career, but just a prologue. From 1982 to 1984 he was recognized as the best athlete on the planet.
Conflict with the Federation
In the mid-80s, Karl Lewis quarreled with the leadership of the Athletics Federation. Because of this, he could not take part in national competitions. But this did not stop Lewis from putting 1 silver and 2 gold medals in his prize piggy bank at the World Championships in Rome (1987).
1988 Olympics
In Seoul, Carl received two gold medals. But he did not immediately conquer them. At a distance of 100 meters, the athlete overtook Ben Johnson. He was later convicted of doping, and the award went automatically to Carl. Similarly, Lewis got the Johnson gold medal from the 1987 World Cup.
3rd World Cup
In 1991, Carl went to the World Cup in Japan. And again he performed very successfully - 1 silver and 2 gold medals. Moreover, in the 100 meter race the athlete showed a phenomenal result for that time - 9.86 seconds.
Before the Championship, many athletics fans wondered: “Who is better - Karl Lewis or Mike Powell?” The latter, unlike the hero of the article, was engaged exclusively in long jumps. Competitions answered the question posed. Karl jumped to 8.91, setting a planet record. But this did not bring Lewis victory. Powell went around him four centimeters.
1992 Olympics
In 1992, Karl planned to take part in the Olympics. But health problems (thyroid gland) did not affect preparation in the best way. For this reason, Lewis did not qualify in the sprint. But the athlete won gold in jumping and in the relay 4x100 m.
Retirement
Subsequent years of competition showed that Lewis Karl, whose biography was described above, is still an ordinary person, not a robot. Mature athlete performance has declined significantly. But the 35-year-old Karl decided to make the last leap at the 1996 Olympics. Unfortunately, he lost in the sprint, but won the long jump. This brought him the ninth gold medal. In 1997, Lewis announced his retirement. Now he is engaged in politics, charity and coaching.
Interesting Facts
- Karl has been a vegan since mid-1990.
- Lewis is depicted on a 1996 postage stamp (Azerbaijan).
- Famous Formula 1 driver and 2008 world champion Hamilton was named after the athlete.
- In 1984, Charles No. 208 drafted the Chicago Bulls Club (NBA). A little later, the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) club did the same. Lewis never professionally played basketball or football (American). These honorable elections took place only due to the high popularity of Karl after the 1984 Olympics, when the athlete brought the country four gold medals at once.