Lewis added two more gold medals and a silver medal at the 1988 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). Lewis appeared in numerous films and television series, often portraying himself.
Carl Lewis' accomplishments as an Olympic track & field athlete will never be overshadowed. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Lewis had the four best jumps in the competition, and his Olympic title was part of a long string of consecutive long-jump victories that extended over several years during the 1980s.
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Updates? Lewis appeared in numerous films and television series, often portraying himself. It doesn't matter how fast Olympic champion Carl Lewis can run he will never escape his inglorious 1993 national anthem performance. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
American idol he may be, but American Idol? Oh, and by the way, dude can't throw a baseball, either. Announcing our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Omissions? By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. For those who don't remember the pitchy performance, you can revisit his rendition here. © 2019 TIME USA, LLC. As critics shame Steven Tyler for bungling the National Anthem before the Patriots-Ravens NFL playoff game this weekend, one thing is certain: the American Idol judge and sometime Aerosmith frontman was just the latest in a long line of Americans who have butchered the patriotic song. Again anchoring the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team, Lewis won his eighth gold medal as the team set a world and Olympic record of 37.40 sec. In 1997 he retired from competition. He was active in various charities, and in 2001 he established the Carl Lewis Foundation, which focused on promoting fitness.
Two years later he was named Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. His off-key rendition of the U.S. National Anthem before a 1993 NBA Finals game, however, came closest. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Lewis, BlackHistoryNow - Biography of Carl Lewis, USA Track and Field - Biography of Carl Lewis, BlackPast - Biography of Frederick Carlton Lewis, Encyclopedia of Alabama - Biography of Carl Lewis, Carl Lewis - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). I’ll say, ‘Isn’t it funny, my anthem from 25 years ago has been seen by more people than your show.’ [Laughs]” Lewis’ name comes up often every four years with track in the spotlight of the Olympics but YouTube and Google searches for his name usually bring up “Carl Lewis national anthem… Corrections?
TIME take a look at the 10 most ear-wrenching renditions of the anthem. Carl Lewis, in full Frederick Carlton Lewis, (born July 1, 1961, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.), American track-and-field athlete, who won nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and ’90s. At age 35 Lewis was a surprise qualifier in the long jump for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he “ran through” his first jump and notched a ho-hum 8.14 metres (26.71 feet) on his second leap. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Lewis won two more gold medals, including his third consecutive long-jump title, with a leap of 8.67 metres (28.44 feet). His career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won an Olympic event. He was active in various charities, and in 2001 he established the Carl Lewis Foundation, which focused on promoting fitness. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Certainly not. However, his candidacy was later challenged over the state’s residency requirement, and in September Lewis withdrew from the race. Lewis settled for a silver in the 200 metres.
At the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Lewis won gold medals in the 100-metre (9.9 sec) and 200-metre (19.8 sec) races, in the long jump (8.54 metres [28.02 feet]), and as a member of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team, which he anchored.
However, his third leap of 8.5 metres (27.89 feet), though well off any records or personal bests, held up as the top jump and earned Lewis his ninth gold medal. Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold.
In 2011 Lewis, a Democrat, announced that he was running for a seat in the New Jersey state Senate. Midway through, Lewis promises he'll "make it up" to the booing crowd, only to butcher the remaining few bars. Lewis’s other gold medal at the 1988 Games came in the 100 metres (9.92 sec), after Canadian Ben Johnson, who had won in world-record time (9.79 sec), was disqualified three days later after testing positive for anabolic steroids. Carl Lewis By Dan Fletcher Wednesday, Oct. 06, 2010 It doesn't matter how fast Olympic champion Carl Lewis can run — he will never escape his inglorious 1993 national anthem performance. In 2011 Lewis, a Democrat, announced that he was running for a seat in the New Jersey state Senate.
Which American athlete won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin? Lewis qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980 but did not compete, because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games. All rights reserved. Lewis became the third track-and-field athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympics, joining Americans Alvin Kraenzlein (1900) and Jesse Owens, the latter of whom won the same four events at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin that Lewis won in Los Angeles.