Mark Lewis-Francis

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameMark Anthony•Lewis-Francis
Used nameMark•Lewis-Francis
Nick/petnamesMLF
Born4 September 1982 in Darlaston, Walsall, England (GBR)
Measurements183 cm / 89 kg
AffiliationsBirchfield Harriers, Birmingham (GBR)
NOC Great Britain
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

As a junior Mark Lewis-Francis was widely touted as the next great superstar of sprinting and won the World Youth and World Junior titles in successive years in 1999 and 2000. He passed up a relay place at the Sydney Olympics to concentrate on the World Juniors. At the start of 2001 he made his senior début for Great Britain at the World Indoor Championships and won a bronze medal in the 60 metres. As the year progressed he added the Europa Cup and European Junior 100 metre title to his portfolio and was chosen for the 2001 World Championships. Lewis-Francis was eliminated in the semi-finals at Edmonton after appearing to have broken the 10 second barrier in his quarter-final, but the time was not ratified due to a faulty wind gauge. He might have expected to pick up a first major gold medal in 2002 but he pulled up injured in the final of the Commonwealth Games 100 and was unable to recover in time for the European Championships. Lewis-Francis’s first Olympic Games started with disappointment when he missed qualification for the 100 m final at Athens by only one position but ended in tears of joy as held off the challenge of former Olympic Champion Maurice Greene to anchor the British quartet home to an improbable victory in the sprint relay. From then on his best performances appeared to be restricted to relay races. He helped the British win bronze medals at both the 2005 and 2007 World Championships and England to win the 2006 Commonwealth Games relay team. An Achilles tendon injury robbed him of a chance to defend his Olympic relay title in 2008 and it appeared that the best days of his athletics career might be behind him. He then had a much better 2010 in which he won silver medals in the 100 m at both the European Championships and Commonwealth Games and added a further Commonwealth relay gold in Melbourne.

Personal Best: 100 – 10.04 (2002).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
2004 Summer Olympics Athletics GBR Mark Lewis-Francis
100 metres, Men (Olympic) 5 h1 r3/4
4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) Great Britain 1 Gold

Special Notes