Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis ( 2009)

Carl Lewis (actually Frederick Carlton Lewis, born July 1, 1961 in Birmingham, Alabama) is one of the most successful athletes in sports history. He achieved several world records and dominated 1983-1996 in the sprint and long jump with nine Olympic victories and eight world titles than any other. In 1999, he was honored by the IAAF as a track and field athlete of the century.

• 2.1 Personal bests
• 2.2 100 meters
• 2.3 200 meters
• 2.4 Long Jump
• 2.5 Season

Career

Olympic games

1980 Carl Lewis was appointed to the U.S. selection for the Olympic Games in Moscow. However, the American boycott of the games prevented Lewis' first major international appearance. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles then came the restitution. Lewis, who had already been successful in the year before at the World Championships in Helsinki, winning four gold medals (100m, 200m, long jump, 4 x 100 m ) where he brought the same feat, which his great idol Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games succeeded in Berlin.

At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul Lewis was his collection in the long jump and the 100 -meter run add two more gold medals. However, it was the latter only awarded retroactively after the first victorious Ben Johnson doping was transferred. The fact that Lewis is still not able to repeat the quadruple triumph of Los Angeles, was due to the disqualification of the U.S. sprint relay in the flow due to a faulty. In addition to Calvin Smith calculated the replacement at this mishap with Lee McNeill was involved, which was used instead of Lewis in order to conserve this due to its many single starts. In addition, Lewis his friend and teammate Joe DeLoach was beaten over 200 meters.

Four years later, Lewis could not qualify for an individual start on the 100 and 200 meters for the games in Barcelona due to an illness in advance. Thus he possessed only in the sprint relay and the long jump at opportunities to once again fall victory. Both succeeded in the relay competition, he also conducted as the final runners his team with a world record for gold, which was exceeded only at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 by Jamaica. With the victory in the long jump, Carl Lewis could not only celebrate his third Olympic gold medal in this discipline, but defeat with Mike Powell the man who him in time for the first really serious competitor was grown and now held the world record.

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta Lewis eventually was able to win his fourth long jump gold medal in a row. Previously this was only succeeded Al Oerter in the discus. After the Games of Atlanta Lewis retired from competitive sports.

Carl Lewis won ten Olympic medals ( nine gold, one silver ). After the number of Olympic gold medals he is with Paavo Nurmi of the most successful athlete of all time (as of 2008) and one of the most successful athlete at all.

World Championships

At the first World Athletics Championships 1983 in Helsinki Carl Lewis international breakthrough. With a total of three gold medals over 100, 200 meters and the long jump, he was by Marita Koch of East Germany 's most successful participants in these championships.

Four years later, Lewis was able to repeat the success at the World Championships in Rome. The world title in the 100 meters he got, however, as well as the Olympic gold medal in the following year, awarded retrospectively by the disqualification of Ben Johnson.

Since the disqualification of Canadian Lewis was also in possession of the world record, which he shortly before the World Championships in Tokyo lost Leroy Burrell in 1991. At the World Championships, finally, Lewis defended until then fastest 100 - meter race of all time his title and won with the winning time of 9.86 s back the world record. Six of the eight finalists remained in this race under the "magic limit" of 10 second, and also next to the world best, a new European record and a record Africa have been established.

Through this compelling performance Carl Lewis was also considered a hot favorite for the subsequent long jump competition. And yet it is in his best discipline he had to go to a winning streak that had lasted for more than ten years, his teammate Mike Powell to defer. In a memorable contest, which surpassed the 100 -meter final on sporting significance forth again, Lewis jumped the best competition series ever achieved a long jumper. He made four jumps between 8.84 m and 8.91 m, exceeding the latter with the legendary record of 8.90 m by Bob Beamon in 1968, which to date 23 years had stock. However, the 8.91 -meter jump could not be considered a world record due to strong tailwind. Lewis eventually lost the sensational match against Mike Powell, who, in turn, with 8.95 m set a new world record. With the victory in the 4 x 100 - meter relay Carl Lewis won his third medal of these world championships.

Carl Lewis could at this time have eight world championship titles, which was even approached at the time of any other athletes. Later, this record of Michael Johnson and Usain Bolt has been set, which came to meet the new regulation that from 1993 the discharge cycle of the World Championship was cut in half to two years.

In 1993, Carl Lewis won at the World Championships in Stuttgart, the bronze medal in the 200 - meter race after he was dethroned in the previous 100 -meter run as world champion and only finished fourth. As he lodged a break from the long jump competition in this year and beyond abandoned on a whistle- use, this remained his only medal at the Championships.

Overall, Carl Lewis won ten medals ( eight gold, one silver and one bronze ) at four world championships.

Doping allegations

In 2003 it was announced that in 1988 in a drug test, which Lewis had been subjected during the U.S. elimination fights, three banned doping substances ( ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine ) were detected. The Olympic Committee of the U.S. ( USOC ) annulled the lock then due on the grounds that the taking was done unintentionally, and hid the case (as well as other positive samples of other athletes such as Joe DeLoach ) the IOC so that Lewis could compete in Seoul.

Statistics

* At the time of the creation of an official world record RF semifinals to strong wind favored (w) result

Personal best

* Current world record (09 /2012) Hall ** current world record (09 /2012)

100 meters

Apart from the Olympic world champion titles and success especially the sporting clashes on the tartan track, Carl Lewis have made it one of the world's most popular athletes. Especially the rivalry for Canadian Ben Johnson, who in 1987 and 1988 reached its peak during the years, contributed significantly to the rise of Lewis' superstar and first big earners in athletics at. Lewis remained in his career total of 27 times less than ten seconds, including 15 times under regular conditions. At least until the early 1990s, he was so worldwide via this route than the Sprinter with the highest level of performance. He highlighted at this time twice a new world record, and laid down twice the existing record (see list of athletics world records of Lords after sports from 1971)

* At the time of the creation of an official world record

200 meters

Despite "only" an Olympic gold and silver medal and a third-place finish at the World Championships Lewis was similar to half the distance on this route as the most consistent sprinter. He remained ten times below the limit of 20 seconds ( all regular), a level of performance which was only some years later by Frank Fredericks and Michael Johnson achieved or exceeded.

Long-jump

In spite of its partially legendary performances in the sprint Carl Lewis had repeatedly affirmed that the long jump was his real favorite discipline. Here he gained his first experience in athletics. The first official personal best began back in 1974 when he reached the age of thirteen a width of 5.51 m.

After Lewis finished second at the TAC Indoor Championships in 1981 behind his compatriot Larry Myricks, he remained for the next ten years unbeaten in 65 matches. Only at the legendary duel against Mike Powell during the 1991 World Championships had to Lewis again been defeated.

Although he never held the outdoor world record, Carl Lewis was considered the most stable long jumper. His contests were characterized mostly by high constancy. Examples of this are, besides its still the unrivaled leap series of Tokyo in 1991, the World Championships in Rome four years earlier. Here Lewis reached each a width between 8.60 m and 8.67 m in regular conditions at four passes. By comparison, the second-placed Robert Emmijan came in his best attempt at 8.53 meters. Throughout his career, Carl Lewis exceeded during a competition 75 times the 8.50 meters, including 64 times under regular conditions. This balance has been achieved to date by any other knight. In addition, Lewis presented three times at a world indoor record. His record of 8.79 m from 1984 is still valid today. (As of March 2009)

* At the time of the creation of the official World Indoor record

Squadron

Carl Lewis was used with a few exceptions in the rule as a final runner. With the 4 x 100 m relay, he won two Olympic gold medals and three world championship titles. He was involved in a total of twelve relay races, which were faster than 38 seconds. Here, six times the world record has been improved, most recently at a time of 37.40 s at the 1992 Olympic Games This record was achieved undercut today by any other American squadron and was also for a period of 16 years, the valid world record. In addition to the 4 x 100 m relay Lewis played occasionally in the non-Olympic 4 x 200 - meter relay an insert, where he was involved in a total of three world record runs. Again, mark the 1:18,68 min, which were erected in 1994, the current world record (as of 2007 ).

* At the time of the creation of an official world record

Policy

Lewis is a member of the Democratic Party. He announced in April 2011 his candidacy for the Senate from New Jersey. "I am ready to serve the taxpayers of this wonderful state, which has made me so much " A little later declared the Republican vice governor of New Jersey, Kim Guadagno, Lewis could not compete because it does not - have previously lived at least four years in the state - as prescribed. The responsible federal district court ruled first to Lewis' favor, revised his judgment after an objection of Republicans in Burlington County. Then Lewis declared in September 2011 for his campaign ended; He also ruled out, to run against the Republican incumbent Jon Runyan in congressional elections in 2012.

Private

Lewis is a vegan since 1990.

Filmography (selection)

• 2003: Alien Hunter - mystery in Antarctica (Alien Hunter)

Awards

• World Athlete of the Year - Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, 1984
• World Athlete of the Year - The International Athletic Foundation ( 1988, 1991 )
• Athletics legend - IAAF 1997 ( because of its great sporting achievements on the occasion of his departure from competitive sports awarded )
• World Athlete of the Century - 1999 IAAF
• Save the World Award - 2009 in Austria
• Prince of Asturias Award in 1996
• World Sportsman of the Year ( L' Équipe ) 1983, 1984, 1991
• Associated Press Athlete of the Year - 1983, 1984
• Inclusion in the IAAF Hall of Fame - 2012