The Olympic Achievements of the Great Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis is among the greatest male United States Olympians of all-time. Voted as the “Sportsman of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee, Lewis won a total of ten medals in his Olympic career, including nine gold’s. Dominate from 1984 until 1996, Lewis could have won more if it was not for the US boycott of the 1980 games in Moscow.
Lewis burst onto the Olympic scene in 1984, winning four Gold medals on the track, tying an American record by the great Jesse Owens. Lewis won gold’s in the 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay and Long Jump. Lewis won three more medals at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, taking the gold in the 100m and Long Jump, and a silver in the 200m. Lewis won the 100m Gold after Canadian Ben Johnson was stripped of his win when he tested positives for steroids shortly after the race.
Lewis continued on his winning ways at the 1992 games in Barcelona, defending his title in the Long Jump and as part of the 4x100m relay team which won gold. In arguably his most impressive achievement, Lewis shocked experts at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta by upsetting world-record holder Mike Powell and winning Gold in the Long Jump for the fourth straight games.