Spokesperson: Carl Lewis
Hershey's Track & Field Games... Empowering youth, adults and families through Track & Field activities.
Carl Lewis is one of only two Olympic athletes to win nine gold medals and one of only two to win the same individual event four times. In total, Carl won 10 Olympic medals during his career (1984 to 1996), eight World Outdoor Championship gold medals and one bronze (1983 to 1993). He didn't lose in the long jump for a decade, winning 65 consecutive competitions.
Growing up in Willingboro, N.J., Carl came from an athletic family, and yet he blossomed late in his high school career. In his senior year, he improved his personal best in the long jump by almost a foot, and ranked number five in the world. By 1984, he had already ranked number one in the world in both the 100 meters and long jump for three consecutive years. In the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, he matched Jesse Owens' 1936 feat with four gold medals in the same events – the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay. Lewis' talent was matched by his longevity. At the 1988 Olympics, he won the 100 meters and long jump. In 1992, he again won the long jump as well as the 4x100m relay, anchoring the U.S. team to a world record of 37.40. In 1996, his final Olympics, Lewis had a dramatic farewell, winning his fourth-consecutive gold medal in the long jump. At age 30, he had one of his greatest achievements, breaking the world 100-meter record with a time of 9.86, while winning the event at the 1991 World Championships.
Carl's accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and being named "Olympian of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. An incredible athlete, Carl was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft with the 208th overall pick. He was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver in the 12th round of the 1984 NFL draft.