Carl Lewis is quite simply one of the greatest athletes all time.
The American was already a 100m and long jump world champion when making history at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
There at his home Olympics, Lewis emulated the great Jesse Owens by winning gold in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay.
Lewis then defended his 100m and long jump titles at Seoul 1988, also winning silver in the 200m.
At Barcelona 1992, he won the long jump title again, as well as gold in the 4×100 relay.
And at his last Olympics, back on home soil at Atlanta 1996, he clinched long jump gold for a fourth time.
Only six other athletes have won four or more golds in the same individual event at an Olympics, and at the time Lewis was just the third.
Lewis’ haul of nine gold medals also puts him among five athletes who rank second in the all-time list, with only Michael Phelps winning more Olympic golds – a staggering 23.
Also an eight-time world champion, Lewis set the 100m world record at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, posting 9.86s at the age of 30.
After he retired, he was named “Sportsman of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.
I’M CARL LEWIS! is the documentary charting the uncompromising and extraordinary life of Lewis, who fought to revolutionise his sport and inspire change on and off the field.
The movie is available to watch on Olympics.com and the Olympics app in the United States and Japan only, from 10 September 2025.