The One Texas Olympic Athlete That Sits On A Mountain Of Gold
The Summer Olympics are kicking off in Paris, France this month. For those of us that remember, our eyes will be glued to the TV screen late at night after we've caught up on The Bear and House Of Dragons, chanting "USA!" while finishing off lukewarm beer and a bag of potato chips. When it comes to the summer games, Texas has quite the reputation for bringing home the gold. One Texan did it better than most.
The Top Texas Olympian And His Mountain Of Gold
When it comes to Texans tackling the Olympic Summer Games, one Texan stands out as one of the best to ever do it. He's one of only a handful of Olympic athletes to have won nine gold medals. He dominated the track for over a decade, from 1984 to 1996. His name is Carl Lewis.
Carl dominated the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 1984. He brought home gold in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and the long jump. He would eventually amass a collection of nine gold medals and one silver. Over the course of his Olympic career, he brought home 10 medals total.
From Texas To "Sportsman Of The Century"
In 1999, Carl Lewis received the honor of being named the "Sportsman Of The Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federation. After he retired from scooping up Olympic glory, he appeared in some movies and wound up back at his alma mater, the University of Houston. He's currently the head coach of their track and field program.
Around 30 athletes from Texas will be competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Hopefully we'll see plenty more gold come to the Lone Star State.