Carl Lewis matches Jesse Owens with 4 gold medals at Los Angeles Olympics

Lewis' dominant performance at the 1984 Summer Games launched a legendary career

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:20am

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At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, American track and field star Carl Lewis matched the iconic Jesse Owens' feat of winning four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m relay, and long jump events. Lewis' brilliant performances and emotional reactions made him the brightest star for the U.S. team, which dominated the Games after the Soviet Union boycotted the event.

Why it matters

Lewis' achievement at the 1984 Olympics cemented his status as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, joining the legendary Jesse Owens as the only athletes to win four gold medals in the same events at a single Games. His dominant performance launched a storied career in which he would go on to win a total of nine Olympic gold medals.

The details

With the Soviet Union boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics, the United States emerged as the dominant force, led by the brilliant performances of Carl Lewis in track and field. Lewis matched Owens' historic feat of winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m relay, and long jump events, the same events that Owens had won at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Lewis' emotional reactions and the adulation of his teammates, who carried him off the field after the closing ceremonies, further cemented his status as the brightest star of the Games.

  • The 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles, California.
  • Carl Lewis won his four gold medals during the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The players

Carl Lewis

An American track and field athlete who emerged as the brightest star for the U.S. team at the 1984 Summer Olympics, matching Jesse Owens' feat of winning four gold medals in the same events.

Jesse Owens

A legendary American track and field athlete who won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m relay, and long jump events at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

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What they’re saying

“Jesse Owens is still the same man to me he was before. He is a legend. I'm just a person. I still feel like the same Carl Lewis I was six years ago, except I'm a little older and a lot more people come to my press conferences.”

— Carl Lewis

What’s next

Lewis' dominant performance at the 1984 Olympics launched a storied career in which he would go on to win a total of nine Olympic gold medals, the last coming in the long jump at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when he was 35 years old.

The takeaway

Carl Lewis' achievement of matching Jesse Owens' feat of winning four gold medals in the same events at a single Olympics cemented his status as one of the greatest Olympians of all time and inspired a new generation of track and field athletes to strive for greatness.