10X Olympic Medalist Reveals Saddening Reality of Track and Field

Carl Lewis’ 9 Olympic golds not only sealed his position as a track and field icon but also made him one of the most decorated athletes in the US. While Lewis and many of his colleagues don’t necessarily see eye to eye, Lewis’ venerated position is beyond reproach. And yet, just like any other 21-year-old, Lewis might have gone into the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics without putting too much thought into it.

In a recent social media thread, Lewis talks about that historic night that set the benchmark for thousands of track and field stars to follow. There are only six athletes in history who have won gold in the same individual men’s event in four back-to-back Olympics and Lewis has been sitting among the solitary group for decades. However, while talking about his “ultimate weekend“, Lewis also unveiled how he went through the phase without much assistance.

Lewis “had no idea” about the technicalities of the race

In a recent series of posts on X, the American legend talks about what kind of mindset confirmed his place among the elites in 1984. Lewis’s statements come after another account on the platform shared Lewis’s iconic 200m run at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Carl ended the race with 19:75 on the clock and moments before reaching the finishing line, Lewis can be seen throwing his arms up in the air in celebration.

The original post claimed that had Lewis not done the celebration prematurely, his time could have been even lower. In response, the Olympic phenom highlighted that “We had no idea how to do it, we were just winging it“. Lewis indicates that he and the team didn’t have many facilities going into the Olympics that year, instead it was their sheer willpower that gave them such an incredible time together as a team.

For Carl, the night can never fade from his memories, and justifiably so! Coming back to the original claim of the possibility of clocking a lower time, Lewis commented, “Time was not an issue. I was 21, on top of my game, and had an incredible win is why I was so happy.”

Carl Lewis will be remembered until the end of time

While the 1984 Olympics confirmed Carl’s place among the most coveted names in the tournament and track and field history, his sprawling career has had many more accolades to make any other athlete’s whole life. Lewis was a frequent name at the top of the charts between 1981 and the mid-1990s in the 100m and 200m sprint events, as well as in the long jump.

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Lewis has been voted for numerous titles, including “World Athlete of the Century”, and “Olympian of the Century” by different institutions, and continues to share his wisdom to this day with emerging athletes at Houston.

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