Long Jump, Men

The 1991 World Championships had featured the greatest long jump dual in track & field history, featuring the 1988 Olympic gold and silver medalists, Carl Lewis and Mike Powell. Lewis opened with 8.68 (28-5¾) to take the lead, with Powell responding with 8.54 (28-0¼) in round two. In round three Lewis produced the second longest jump ever, 8.83 (28-11¾), but a +2.3 wind prevented it from counting for record purposes, although it counted for the competition. In round four, he bettered that as well. The mark of 8.91 (29-2¾) went up on the board, meaning the vaunted Bob Beamon world record had finally been bettered, but this too was wind-aided, a following +2.9 wind. In round five, the wind was legal, and Lewis popped 8.87 (29-1¼), the second-longest legal jump ever. Powell was mired in second place, watching Lewis produce the greatest series in long jump history. But then, Powell produced his best. The 8.95 (29-4½) mark on the stadium board meant that Beamon’s world record was finally broken, if the wind was legal, and it was - +0.3 m/s. In the last round, Lewis fought back, jumping another superb mark of 8.84 (29-0), also with a legal wind. But he had lost and he had lost in his effort to be the man to break Beamon’s record. At the 1992 Olympic Trials, Powell again beat Lewis (8.62-8.53), and was a slight favorite in Barcelona.

In round one of the final, Lewis opened with 8.67 (28-5½). Powell struggled early, but got out to 8.22 (26-11¾) in round two and 8.33 (27-4) in round three. Round five saw both produce big jumps, Lewis with 8.50 (27-10¾) and Powell with 8.53 (28-0). Lewis again jumped 8.50 (27-10¾) in the final round. Powell was up three jumpers later and produced his best mark, 8.64 (28-4¼), but it was not enough for the gold medal. Joe Greene completed the US sweep. Lewis had won his third consecutive gold medal in the event. Not counting the 1906 Olympics, this made Lewis only the fourth track & field to win three consecutive gold medals in the same individual event – John Flanagan in hammer throw, Viktor Saneyev in triple jump, and Al Oerter, who won four consecutive, in the discus throw.