Carl Lewis: Driven by a ⁣Desire for ⁣Fame and Fortune

Los ‍Angeles, CA – Track and field icon Carl Lewis has revealed that a‌ pursuit of ⁤fame and wealth was a significant motivating factor during ⁢the early stages of his illustrious career.⁢ Speaking in a forthcoming documentary, Lewis, who dominated sprinting and long jump events across four Olympic Games, openly discussed ⁤his ambitions beyond athletic achievement.

“When⁣ I first ⁤got into sports,especially at ⁣international level,I‌ wanted to be rich,I wanted to be famous,I wanted to be ‍known. All⁢ those things that 18, 19-year-olds think about,”​ Lewis explained. He emphasized the youthfulness of his early Olympic appearances, noting he was just 18 years old ‍when he​ first competed and 22 at his second Games.

Lewis described a conscious effort to‌ bring an entertainment element to his performances, inspired by encounters with figures in the music industry. “The big thing ‌was I ​wanted ⁣to be an entertainer on the track and I ⁤met people in the entertainment business,” he said. “I went to the Grammys and concerts. And I ⁤said ‘I wont to be like Prince, I want to be like Michael‌ Jackson’. so ⁢thinking like that, I ⁢brought that onto the track and I brought the ⁣entertainment⁣ side. I brought ⁣it.”

He further detailed how he attempted to cultivate a personal brand through fashion and style, a​ move that initially faced resistance. ‍”I brought the clothing and the fashion, all that stuff I thought would⁣ help me become the ‌big‍ brand that‍ I​ wanted to be, and there was immediate pushback… the pushback was hard.”

The documentary also explores Lewis’s​ celebrated gold-medal victories and the intense‍ rivalries that ⁤defined his ⁤career⁣ from⁢ the 1984 Los Angeles olympics‍ through to the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Viewers in the‌ United States and Japan will be able to watch the documentary ⁤on Olympics.com ​and the Olympics app, beginning September 10, 2025.