Carol Lewis
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.jpg/1280px-Carol_and_Carl_Lewis_(cropped).jpg) Lewis in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 159 lb (72 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Club | Santa Monica Track Club |
Medal record | |
Carol LeGrant Lewis (born August 8, 1963) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She is the 1983 World Championship bronze medalist, and a 4-time US Champion. Her best long jump of 7.04 meters in 1985 is the former American record. She is the sister of nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, and former professional soccer player Cleveland Lewis. She is also the daughter of the late American hurdler Evelyn Lawler.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Lewis qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. She received one of the 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes. She first competed internationally at the Liberty Bell Classic, an alternate event for boycotted athletes, where she won a silver medal with a jump of 6.60 meters. She won the Dial Award that year in recognition of her achievements. While at Willingboro High School in New Jersey, setting the high school indoor long jump record at 21 ft 7.5 in (6.591 m) in 1981.[3] She later went to the University of Houston, following in the footsteps of her older brother. At Houston, she won 2 National Collegiate Athletic Association long jump championship titles in 1983: 21-11 3/4 and 1985: 22-1[4] She also joined her brother on the Santa Monica Track Club.[5]
Lewis won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in 1982, the first of four National championships.[6] Her 6.81m jump from that competition is the current United States, North American and Pan American Junior record.[7] Further success came in 1983, with a win at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics.[8]
After winning the Olympic Trials, she represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics and managed to finish in ninth place at the age of twenty.[1] The following year she won the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a second time and took bronze at the World Cup in Athletics. In Zürich in August that year, Lewis reached her peak, setting a personal best and breaking the American record in the long jump twice at the same track meeting.[8] Her record of 7.04 m stood for two years until it was beaten by Jackie Joyner-Kersee.[9]
Lewis competed at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing in ninth position with a best jump of 6.23 m. She qualified for her third Olympics in 1988, failing to qualify for the final by just one centimeter.[8]
Following her retirement from track and field, she went on to work as a commentator for various events for NBC Sports.[8] She commentated on the track events for the 1996, 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics.[10]
In 2000, Lewis began competing in two-woman bobsled and, although she failed to make the 2002 US Olympic team, she served as Shauna Rohbock's brakeman at the 2002 World Cup in Calgary.[10]
Personal bests
[edit]| Event | Date | Venue | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long jump | 21 August 1985 | Zürich, Switzerland | 7.04 meters (AR 1985–1987) |
- All information taken from IAAF Profile.[11]
National titles
[edit]- 4-time United States long jump champion – 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986
- 4-time United States Indoor long jump champion –1983, 1984, 1985 and 1991
- 2-time NCAA long jump champion – 1983 and 1985
International competitions
[edit]| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  United States | |||||
| 1980 | Liberty Bell Classic | Philadelphia, United States | 2nd | Long jump | 6.60 m |
| Pan American Junior Championships | Sudbury, Canada | 2nd | 100 m hurdles | 14.62 | |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 3rd | Long jump | 7.00 m |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 9th | Long jump | 6.43 m |
| 1985 | Grand Prix Final | Rome, Italy | 3rd | Long jump | 6.73 m |
| World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 3rd | Long jump | 6.88 m | |
| 1987 | World Indoor Championships | Indianapolis, United States | 9th | Long jump | 6.23 m |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 13th (q) | Long jump | 6.47 m |
| Results with (q) indicate overall position in qualifying round | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Carol Lewis biography. Sports-reference. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Amdur, Neil (February 12, 1981). "Jersey Siblings Rival the Best in Track and Field". New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ Shepard, Jack (2009). High School Track 2010. Jack Shepard.
- ^ "Carol Lewis". Archived from the original on 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
- ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- ^ Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. USATF. Retrieved on 2013-03-26.
- ^ records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior/. Iaaf.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-26.
- ^ a b c d Graffit-e Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. University of Houston. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Long Jump All Time. IAAF (2009-06-02). Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ a b Hiestand, Michael (2006-02-20). Gumbel's comments don't ring true for NBC pioneer Lewis. USA Today. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Biography Lewis, Carol. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- 1963 births
- Living people
- American women long jumpers
- Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Track and field athletes from Birmingham, Alabama
- African-American track and field athletes
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Sport of athletics commentators
- Houston Cougars women's track and field athletes
- Congressional Gold Medal recipients
- Sportspeople from Willingboro Township, New Jersey
- Track and field athletes from Burlington County, New Jersey
- Willingboro High School alumni
- 21st-century African-American sportswomen
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- 20th-century African-American sportswomen
- 20th-century American sportswomen
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States
- NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
- NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- Carl Lewis
- American women hurdlers
- American women sprinters
Lewis in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 159 lb (72 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Club | Santa Monica Track Club |
Medal record | |
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.svg/1280px-Silver_medal_icon_(S_initial).svg.png){kind=icon}
Carol LeGrant Lewis (born August 8, 1963) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She is the 1983 World Championship bronze medalist, and a 4-time US Champion. Her best long jump of 7.04 meters in 1985 is the former American record. She is the sister of nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, and former professional soccer player Cleveland Lewis. She is also the daughter of the late American hurdler Evelyn Lawler.[1][2]
Career
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Lewis qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. She received one of the 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes. She first competed internationally at the Liberty Bell Classic, an alternate event for boycotted athletes, where she won a silver medal with a jump of 6.60 meters. She won the Dial Award that year in recognition of her achievements. While at Willingboro High School in New Jersey, setting the high school indoor long jump record at 21 ft 7.5 in (6.591 m) in 1981.[3] She later went to the University of Houston, following in the footsteps of her older brother. At Houston, she won 2 National Collegiate Athletic Association long jump championship titles in 1983: 21-11 3/4 and 1985: 22-1[4] She also joined her brother on the Santa Monica Track Club.[5]
Lewis won the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in 1982, the first of four National championships.[6] Her 6.81m jump from that competition is the current United States, North American and Pan American Junior record.[7] Further success came in 1983, with a win at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics.[8]
After winning the Olympic Trials, she represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics and managed to finish in ninth place at the age of twenty.[1] The following year she won the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a second time and took bronze at the World Cup in Athletics. In Zürich in August that year, Lewis reached her peak, setting a personal best and breaking the American record in the long jump twice at the same track meeting.[8] Her record of 7.04 m stood for two years until it was beaten by Jackie Joyner-Kersee.[9]
Lewis competed at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing in ninth position with a best jump of 6.23 m. She qualified for her third Olympics in 1988, failing to qualify for the final by just one centimeter.[8]
Following her retirement from track and field, she went on to work as a commentator for various events for NBC Sports.[8] She commentated on the track events for the 1996, 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics.[10]
In 2000, Lewis began competing in two-woman bobsled and, although she failed to make the 2002 US Olympic team, she served as Shauna Rohbock's brakeman at the 2002 World Cup in Calgary.[10]
Personal bests
| Event | Date | Venue | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long jump | 21 August 1985 | Zürich, Switzerland | 7.04 meters (AR 1985–1987) |
- All information taken from IAAF Profile.[11]
National titles
- 4-time United States long jump champion – 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1986
- 4-time United States Indoor long jump champion –1983, 1984, 1985 and 1991
- 2-time NCAA long jump champion – 1983 and 1985
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing United States | |||||
| 1980 | Liberty Bell Classic | Philadelphia, United States | 2nd | Long jump | 6.60 m |
| Pan American Junior Championships | Sudbury, Canada | 2nd | 100 m hurdles | 14.62 | |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 3rd | Long jump | 7.00 m |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 9th | Long jump | 6.43 m |
| 1985 | Grand Prix Final | Rome, Italy | 3rd | Long jump | 6.73 m |
| World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 3rd | Long jump | 6.88 m | |
| 1987 | World Indoor Championships | Indianapolis, United States | 9th | Long jump | 6.23 m |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 13th (q) | Long jump | 6.47 m |
| Results with (q) indicate overall position in qualifying round | |||||
References
- ^ a b Carol Lewis biography. Sports-reference. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Amdur, Neil (February 12, 1981). "Jersey Siblings Rival the Best in Track and Field". New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ Shepard, Jack (2009). High School Track 2010. Jack Shepard.
- ^ "Carol Lewis". Archived from the original on 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2015-02-20.
- ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- ^ Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. USATF. Retrieved on 2013-03-26.
- ^ records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior/. Iaaf.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-26.
- ^ a b c d Graffit-e Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. University of Houston. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Long Jump All Time. IAAF (2009-06-02). Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ a b Hiestand, Michael (2006-02-20). Gumbel's comments don't ring true for NBC pioneer Lewis. USA Today. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
- ^ Biography Lewis, Carol. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-06-17.
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