Legendary track and field athlete Carl Lewis found himself in unfamiliar territory at the 1984 Olympic Games. As the best long jumper and sprinter in the world, Lewis faced down one of the most stacked long jump lineups in the history of the Games.
In the 1983 World Athletics Championships, Lewis dominated the long jump and the 100 meter dash in addition to anchoring the US to a win in the 4×100 relay. On the contrary, after 5 rounds in the 1984 Games, he found himself in second place heading into his final attempt.
In the final round, Lewis managed to jump a whopping 8.79 meters which converts to 28 feet and 10 and 1/4 inches.
In the 1991 World Athletics Championships, Lewis topped this record, jumping 8.87 meters. He still took silver, coming behind Mike Powell, who jumped 8.95 meters the same year.
