Olympic legend Carl Lewis returns to Wichita, where his 1982 record still stands
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis did not remember his first visit to Wichita until the current Houston track and field head coach returned this week for the American Athletic Conference outdoor championships.
That’s when someone told Lewis, now 57, that his name was still listed in the program.
Sure enough, nearly 40 years later, Lewis still owns the Cessna Stadium record in the men’s long jump with a mark of 27 feet, 6¼ inches set in 1982. When he saw the year, the memories started rushing back to Lewis when he was competing in the summer for the Santa Monica Track Club.
“I don’t really remember much, but I remember the environment and I remember the situation,” Lewis said. “At 57, I don’t remember last week. But it is great and exciting to see my name still in certain stadiums for things that I did. I had a great career and I really enjoyed it and now I’m having fun coaching the athletes here (at Houston).”
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