Steve Lewis (athlete)

For the British Pole Vaulter see Steven Lewis

Steven ("Steve") Earl Lewis (born May 16, 1969) is a former American track and field athlete, winner of three gold medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Steve Lewis attended American High School in Fremont, California where he graduated in 1987. While at American he competed in track and field and still holds the Mission Valley Athletic League record in the 400 meters. He would go on to attend UCLA. As a freshman at UCLA, Lewis had a spectacular year in 1988, when the precocious 19-year-old not only completely rewrote the world junior all-time list in the 400 m, but also proved his mettle in senior competition, by winning the Olympic gold medal.

Lewis had not been a total unknown prior to 1988, having set a personal best of 45.76 at the 1987 USA national junior championships, but he caught many unawares when he won his quarter-final at the USA Olympic Trials with new world junior record of 44.61, and then slashed this time the following day, when he won his semi-final in 44.11. Despite this performance, Lewis could only finish third in the final in 44.37, having been well beaten by his older compatriots, Butch Reynolds and Danny Everett.

In the Olympic Games at Seoul, Reynolds was the clear favourite to win the gold medal, and few people took Lewis' chances seriously, but in the Olympic final Lewis set a fast pace in the early stages while Reynolds held back. Although Reynolds closed near the finish, Lewis held on to win in 43.87, still the world junior record. Steve won a second gold medal three days later, as a member of the victorious USA 4x400 m relay team which equalled the world record of 2:56.16.

In 1990, he won NCAA Champinships in the 400 m and went on to win the US Track and Field Championships in the same event.

In 1992, Lewis, once again, competed at the Olympic Games in Barcelona and won a silver medal in the 400 m and a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay, which broke the world record (2:55.74), that Lewis had previously helped set in the 1988 Olympic Games.

The rest of Lewis' career was affected by injury and an ongoing viral illness, and he never again competed at a major international championships.

Lewis was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004.

References

* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20040804/ai_n14579996 Fremont's Lewis stuns fast 400 field]