Carl and Carol

[utopian]

On earlier thread, it was thought that Carl and Carol Lewis, although both good sprinters, were probably recruited because of their LJ ability solely.
http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/di ... hread=4570

Of course, they were both close to the top as sprinters as well.

The writer also seemed to assume that Carl and Carol were of roughly equal ability.

My recollection was that until Carl made a breakthrough as a long jumper, Carol was relatively more outstanding as a youth athlete than her brother. In fact, as an all-round track high school athlete and for a few years later, I believe that she was better than Jackie Joyner in both the LJ and HH.

Which allows me to introduce a question that has puzzled me from time to time.

When and why did she withdraw from competition?

Even if she had been surpassed at the time by JJ, it would seem that a few years of rivalry would have been exciting for both.

[Powell]

Re: Carl and Carol

She actually continued competing for a long time (at least until the late 80s, possibly even into the 90s), but her results were getting more and more mediocre over time.

[ltricard]

Re: Carl and Carol

she was 3rd in 88 trials...i think she competed after seoul...but i don't see her in any nationals results after 88...i know she was hurt in 91.....i think she said she had broken her foot....

[Andrea_T]

Re: Carl and Carol

>She actually continued competing for a long time (at least until the late 80s,
>possibly even into the 90s), but her results were getting more and more
>mediocre over time.

I cant remember her exact retirement date off hand, but she was well retired by the mid 90's (remember her interviewing JJK in the spring of 94?)
She suffered too much with her weight IMO, and that lack of conditioning cost her better marks.
Remember the TAC 87 anyone? Drechsler winning with 7.32 looking athletic with amazing power and control on the runway, Chistyakova second with a shortened run-up, looking super light (probably a little too slight actually) and then burly Carol Lewis getting 3rd looking a good 14lbs over weight. Unconditioned, carrying excess fat... she coulda been so good had she had a better weights/diet regime!

[gh]

Re: Carl and Carol

14 years of making the U.S. Rankings is a career so far beyond the ordinary that hte proper question would be, Why did Carol keep going so long?!

When you're over 30, and in an era where real professionalism still isn't fully in place, hanging them up can be a pretty logical thing to do.

[anggrek]

Re: Carl and Carol

and now she is the most annoying T&F announcer ever to work in the field! i just found my tape of the 2003 WC (NBC?) and i couldn't watch it. she is even more annoying than dwight.

and she thinks it's funny that she can't pronounce the foreign names (all the 'ovas and 'skayas)... what a riot.

[twittering debutante]

Re: Carl and Carol

As talented as she may have been on the track, the fact she never seemed to develop as an announcer all adds up to a zero sum, in my opinion.

[Flumpy]

Re: Carl and Carol

"She is the most annoying T&F announcer ever to work in the field!"


You only say that because you've never had to suffer through John Regis or Cathy Freeman.

[dj]

Re: Carl and Carol

Or Regis and Kathy Lee! Or Regis and Kelly?

[Kevin]

Re: Carl and Carol

Yes, but to the untrained American ear, Regis and Freeman are given credibility because of their accents. :-)

[anggrek]

Re: Carl and Carol

>"She is the most annoying T&F announcer ever to work in the field!"
>You
>only say that because you've never had to suffer through John Regis or Cathy
>Freeman.

oh hush, you europeans/australians/canadians/insert other country with good athletics coverage here... no, i have never heard regis or freeman commenting, but that's because here in the US we get 0, ZERO, absolutely NO tv coverage of the sport of athletics.

so if having to hear bad commentators is the price to pay to get some tv coverage, hell, i'd be grateful for that. heck, i'd sacrifice my (unborn) children for that, believe me, i would.

maybe it's time to move to canada... darn, if it just weren't so damn cold over there...

[anggrek]

Re: Carl and Carol

Kevin Richardson wrote:

>Yes, but to the untrained American ear, Regis and Freeman are given credibility
>because of their accents. :-)

sorry, but aren't you the guy in that boy band???? :-)