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Monday, September 22, 1997

Olympic great puts final touch on track and field career

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ / AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - Carl Lewis has nine Olympic gold medals, ranks as THE best track and field athlete of our time and maybe ever. He dominated the Olympics like no one since Jesse Owens.

He was a member of the U.S Olympic team five times in a career spanning 18 years. He held 11 world records and thrilled fans around the world with his unprecedented performances in the long jump, sprints and relays.

Yet, there always seems to be an asterisk attached to his accomplishments. Lewis was and is almost as prolific in creating controversy as he was setting world records.

Lewis ran a final ceremonial race at halftime of the Houston-Pittsburgh football game last week at Robertson Stadium on a resurfaced track that he generously paid for.

He then took a victory lap. An international press delegation was on hand to record Lewis' farewell to his sport.

Despite what Lewis has done for the sport, despite his truly charitable nature and despite his accomplishments, as much is written about what Lewis says as what he does.

Apparently, that's how Lewis wants it. To the end, he took pride in doing it his way, a way that has often left him at odds with the public.

"It's been a long road, a lot of fights, it's been a lot of fun," Lewis said. "But to quote a song by Frank Sinatra. 'I did it my way,' and that's still pretty damn good."

During the Los Angeles Games in 1984, Lewis could have had the world at his feet when he won four gold medals, equaling Owens' feat. And yet, he found a way to anger thousands of fans by skipping his final four attempts in the long jump.

He'd already won the 100-meter gold medal and run two heats in the 200-meters. He'd already taken the lead in the long jump with a leap that would eventually win him the gold.

Having already won the 100-meter gold and run two 200-meter heats on the same day as the long jump final, Lewis' strategy was to conserve his energy for the 200 final and the relay.

So he decided to stop jumping after his opening leap of 28 feet, one-quarter inch. Maybe that was good track strategy, but it was a public relations blunder that cost Lewis fans.

Instead of treating him as a hero, fans in Los Angeles Coliseum booed, feeling they'd been cheated out of seeing the complete spectacle of Lewis taking all of his long jumps.

That's been the signature of Lewis' career. He never got the full impact of his performances because he was 'doing it his way.'

It happened again in his final Olympics in 1996 at Atlanta when Lewis won his ninth gold medal with a dramatic upset victory in the long jump. It could have been a time for healing old wounds as the Lewis capped his illustrious career with another gold.

Nope.

Lewis instead created more controversy by suggesting that he run on the 400-meter relay team, an event for which he had not qualified. Lewis was denied but it caused a sour scene on the U.S. team and there was a lot of bickering among team members.

The U.S. team eventually finished second without Lewis, who once again took the shine off of a truly amazing victory.

So, after Lewis took his final victory lap at Robertson Stadium, he was asked the inevitable question and gave a predictable answer.

"No regrets," he said. "Nothing different." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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