Carl Lewis long jump comments

[user4]

I do not know Carl Lewis personally but have worked many of his LJ competitions and, while I admire his athletic achievement, he has always been uniquely disdainful of fellow athletes and officials. I can understand an athlete "being in the zone" during competition but he seems to be in the zone 24/7.
He disparages the performances of current LJ leaders, compared to his routine 28 foot jumps, without acknowledging that only a handful of men have ever jumped 28 feet and only four over 29. He was an outlier and outliers do not come along every year.

One of the greatest athletes ever. But I dont recall him making routine 28 footers. Though im sure he has more than any other athlete.

Besides that, watching Carl run into the pit was never that awe inspiring.

Regarding the present rub, these things need time to sort out..

[shango]

We know what you think already. We expect nothing else.
We hope you say the same thing if and when Bolt makes comments like this.
Oh he already said he didn't respect Lewis.
I doubt you were very pleased about that.
But considering all he has done in track and field maybe you should respectfully listen to Bolt.
Hate him...or not.

[jc203]

I listen to Lewis and, unfortunately, I'm consistently disappointed by what he has to say.

For example, in this latest diatribe: "If I jumped 26 feet I'd walk away and say 'don't measure that, make it a foul.”
I wonder how statements like that help competitors or coaches or the sport in general. What's the purpose?

While denigrating the current crop of jumpers ("They don't know how to jump and they're not trying...") I wish the man who was obviously a master technician would offer something, anything, constructive to the conversation. Maybe some input on how to jump and how to try?

During the period Carl harkens back to - 20 to 30 years ago - the level of elite men's results in ALL the jumps spiked dramatically and in many instances have not returned to those standards. If Lewis would supply some insight on the technical and training aspects that are no longer practiced then that would be great. Absent specifics the cynics among us and the media mull over more sensational and dispiriting possible explanations.

[Gabriella2]

During the period Carl harkens back to - 20 to 30 years ago - the level of elite men's results in ALL the jumps spiked dramatically and in many instances have not returned to those standards. If Lewis would supply some insight on the technical and training aspects that are no longer practiced then that would be great. Absent specifics the cynics among us and the media mull over more sensational and dispiriting possible explanations.

^^^^^This this this.

It would be a bit like Kratochvilova or Lisovskaya coming out and saying the women 800m runners/shot putters just don't have the technique and discipline nowadays to run fast/throw far.

Don't make me laugh Carl. We all know why and it's not because the men longjumpers aren't working hard enough and doing the right training.

[andyjgt]

We know what you think already. We expect nothing else.
We hope you say the same thing if and when Bolt makes comments like this.
Oh he already said he didn't respect Lewis.
I doubt you were very pleased about that.
But considering all he has done in track and field maybe you should respectfully listen to Bolt.
Hate him...or not.

Based on what they have accomplished in music*, I guess we should respectfully listen to what One Direction have to say, then...
Hate them, or not.

* sales not contribution, and more through other people's efforts than their own, but still

[Powell]

One of the greatest athletes ever. But I dont recall him making routine 28 footers.

26 wind-legal competitions outdoors over 28 ft., plus 5 indoors and 11 wind-aided ones. I think we can say it was a pretty standard distance for him.

[Gabriella2]

26 wind-legal competitions outdoors over 28 ft., plus 5 indoors and 11 wind-aided ones. I think we can say it was a pretty standard distance for him.

Aye, but in fairness to user4, over how long and how many times in a season? Lewis had a, what, 16 year career as a senior? So over his career he averaged 1.6 times a season. I think the only season he didn't jump over 28ft/8.53 was 1986. Does that count as a standard distance? I guess it depends on ones interpretation. Either way, I don't think one should be critical of athletes not jumping over 28ft/8.53 regularly unless they want to criticise the women shot putters for not throwing over 21m regularly, or the women sprinters for not going under 22/49 secs regularly. Lewis's event is no different to any other event that spiked in the 1980s so he really should stand back unless he wants the mud thrown at him.

[Powell]

Aye, but in fairness to user4, over how long and how many times in a season? Lewis had a, what, 16 year career as a senior? So over his career he averaged 1.6 times a season.

Nobody's saying he was a regular 28+ jumper for 16 years. His peak period was 1982-92, and even during this period he had a couple of seasons he didn't take quite so seriously.

Also, he was not the most prolific competitor in LJ (not surprising, given he was also a sprinter). His 10-year winning streak, from 1981 to 91, totalled only 65 competitions. During this period the majority of his competitions ended with 28+ jumps.

[justrunfast]

As an ambassador for the sport and the event why not give us a solution, rather than point out the obvious.

Everyone even the general public understand the long jump distances are not as far as two decades ago.

I am not buying the idea that it's because of commitment and heart all the nonsense give us some technical pointers and analysis. Tell us what it takes for the 8.40 jumpers to get to 8.60-70. He and a handful of others are the only ones who can give athletes and coaches a genuine insight into what it takes. Yet he comes out and tells what we already know in a super negative fashion

Give us a solution Carl..... we shall wait.....

[user4]

I only said that I would not use the word "routine" to describe King Carl's 28 footers.

I acknowledge him to be the greatest long jumper and one of the greatest sprinters ever. It is also easy to make a very strong case that Carl is the greatest track and field athlete ever.

Nevertheless I just wouldnt use the word "routine" to describe his 28 footers.

Lets face it, when it comes to these finer points you can either trust a guy named lonewolf that was a national caliber collegiate track athlete and has officiated long jump events at every elite level from the NCAA to IAAF and Olympic competitions or you can trust a broken down former HS track athlete named user4.

Im going with user4, thats my story and Im sticking to it.

[Atticus]

26 wind-legal competitions outdoors over 28 ft., plus 5 indoors and 11 wind-aided ones. I think we can say it was a pretty standard distance for him.

He can be very proud of his record; he can even brag about it.
What he mustn't do is lord it over people and criticize them for not accomplishing what he did.

[Gabriella2]

Aside form my genuine belief that we cannot and should not compare performances from Carl's era to now, I will offer some constructive criticism to our very own Olympic Champion, Greg Rutherford; I think there are two things Greg can do to help:

1. Do LJ drills more than once a week. I understand risk of injury and majority of training is sprints, weights and plyometrics, but maybe introducing a second LJ drill session a week will improve technique.

2. Improve your strength to body weight ratio by losing a bit more weight. Though he has battled hard and done well to lose access weight, I still think Greg looks 'heavy' compared to most LJers.
One should take height/weight stats with a pinch of salt, but if we look at the top men, Greg is the heaviest:

Athlete: meters/kg
Rutherford: 1.88/87
Lewis 1.88/81
Powell 1.88/79
Emmiyan 1.78/69
Beamon 1.9/70
Myricks 1.86/82
Phillips 1.8/82 or 1.83/84
Pedroso 1.76/66

He is potentially 6kg (13lbs) heavier than Lewis and Powell, who are recorded as the same height. That's a massive difference.

[Dave]

Did potential successors(in the US) to Lewis or Powell go to American football instead? Were there athletes who had the potential to perform as well as Lewis or Powell get injured and fall out?

[Atticus]

Did potential successors(in the US) to Lewis or Powell go to American football instead? Were there athletes who had the potential to perform as well as Lewis or Powell get injured and fall out?

I believe there are NBA players with the speed, strength and ups to have been close to 9m with full training. .

[Dave]

I believe there are NBA players with the speed, strength and ups to have been close to 9m with full training. .

That makes sense. I suspect LJ coaches world wide watch NBA dunking competitions and weep for what might have been.