American · Birmingham, Alabama · Born 1 July 1961Nine-time Olympic gold medallist and winner of four consecutive long jump titles at the Games — widely considered the greatest track and field athlete.
Frederick Carlton Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1961 and became the greatest track and field athlete in history — winning 9 Olympic gold medals across 4 Games from 1984 to 1996, and 8 World Championship gold medals. He competed for the USA from 1979 to 1997. His 9 Olympic golds span the 100m (1984, 1988, 1992), 200m (1984), long jump (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996) and 4x100m relay (1984, 1992). His 4 consecutive Olympic long jump titles — from Los Angeles to Atlanta — is the greatest individual achievement in track and field history. His personal bests of 9.86 seconds for 100m and 8.87 metres in the long jump rank among the finest ever recorded. He won the 1988 Seoul 100m gold after Ben Johnson's disqualification — himself running a then-world-record 9.92 seconds. He won the long jump gold at Atlanta 1996 at 35 years old — making him the oldest Olympic long jump champion in history. He won 8 World Championship golds. He was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC in 1999 and Athlete of the Century by the IAAF. He also competed as a pop singer — releasing an album called The Feeling That I Feel in 1985 — with limited commercial success.
Dominant sprinter and long jumper, won 9 Olympic golds across four Games
He won the long jump at four consecutive Olympic Games between 1984 and 1996 — the same event across 12 years of competition.
Did You Know?How They Played
Lewis combined exceptional speed with outstanding technical ability in both sprinting and long jumping. His long jump technique was particularly refined, featuring a powerful approach run and precise takeoff mechanics that allowed him to dominate the event for over a decade. In sprinting, he possessed smooth acceleration and strong finishing speed, though he was sometimes criticized for slower starts compared to his exceptional top-end speed.
Lasting Impact
Considered one of greatest track and field athletes ever, dominated sprints and long jump for over a decade
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 100m 1984, 1988, 1992
- Olympic Gold 200m 1984
- Olympic Gold Long Jump 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996
- Olympic Gold 4x100m 1984, 1992
- World Champion 100m 1983, 1987, 1991
- World Champion Long Jump 1983, 1987, 1991
American Athletes