Pan American Games 2023: Carl Lewis set to attend as guest of honour at Santiago 2023
The nine-time Olympic gold medallist will return to the games that debuted his international career 44 years ago as the guest of honour along with Mike Powell and Félix Sánchez.
Athletics
Named “Olympian of the century” by Sports Illustrated in 2022, former USA sprinter and jumper Carl Lewis will attend the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago as the guest of honour.
Along with his nine Olympic and eight World Championship gold medals, Lewis set world records in the 100m, 4x100m and 4x200m relay in the 80s and 90s, and still holds the indoor long jump world record.
If being great across two disciplines in athletics wasn’t admirable enough, the Alabama native dominated these for over a decade on the world's greatest stages, becoming undefeated in the long jump at the Olympics from 1984 to 1962, also taking six additional medals across the four Games.
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Carl Lewis looks on before the medal ceremony of Men's 100m on Day 12 of Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
The history of Carl Lewis at the Pan American Games
“I’m so looking forward to coming down to Santiago for the 2023 Pan Am Games. As you know, I went to the Pan Am Games more than once, and actually it was my first international team,” Lewis told PanAm Sports.
“I’m going to have a great time, it’s going to be a great event and I’ll see you soon.”
San Juan 1979 served as Lewis’ debut to international competition and at just 17 years old, he took the bronze medal in the long jump at his first Pan Ams.
Eight years later, he returned to his second and final continental Games to take the 4x100m and long jump gold at Indianapolis 1987, and set the Games long jump record that still stands today.
For 36 years he has held this record with 8.75m.
San Juan 1979 were the floodgates that set off the teenager’s career as one of the most decorated athletes of all time.
44 years after his debut, he will return to the continental Games not only as the guest of honour, but also as the current head coach at the University of Houston, where he coaches Cecilia Tamayo-Garza, who will be competing at the Games for Mexico. She is a five-time national champion.
“Carl Lewis, the Son of the Wind, is a tremendous athlete and icon of the sports world. For us it is a tremendous honour to have him here,” said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic.
Carl Lewis of the United States raises his arms in celebration as he crosses the finish line to win the anchor leg of the Men's 4 x 100 relay metres event on 8th August 1992 during the XXV Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
The Olympic History of Carl Lewis
As one of just three male athletes to hold nine Olympic gold medals – the most of any individual behind Michael Phelps – Lewis has one of the most remarkable Olympic careers of all time.
He represented Team USA at four Olympic Games, which would have been five, but the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics during Lewis’ freshman year at the University of Houston, where he qualified for his first Olympic team.
Finally, the next Games rolled around and it was a go. At Los Angeles 1984, Lewis not only walked out with a gold medal in all four events that he competed in, he also set new Olympic and world records in the 200m and as the anchor of the 4x100m relay, respectively.
He also went in trying to break the long jump world record, but in a decision to conserve his body for his remaining events, he took the minimum jumps required to settle for just a gold medal.
In 1988, he became the back-to-back long jump and 100m Olympic champion. In 1992, he took the gold in the long jump and set a new world record with Team USA’s 4x100m.
On his quest to break the long jump world record, he recorded his longest jump ever at the 1991 World Championships, but came second to Mike Powell who set the new world record and ended Lewis’ streak of 65 consecutive wins. The pair will meet again in Santiago.
In 1996, it was 12 years and four Games’ after his Olympic beginning and Lewis made an exit that was just as dramatic as his entrance, becoming a four-time undefeated Olympic long jump champion.
Today, Lewis is 62 years old and remains head coach of the University of Houston track and field program.
Other notable athletes attending the games include Mike Powell, back-to-back Olympic silver medalist and two-time world champion and Félix Sánchez, two-time Olympic gold medalist and world-champion.