• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Olympic legend Carl Lewis says 'no athlete should return' to Olympics after 'embarrassing' USA track and field performance

Home> News> Sport

Published 16:28 11 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Olympic legend Carl Lewis says 'no athlete should return' to Olympics after 'embarrassing' USA track and field performance

The former American track and field athlete didn't hold back

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

It's safe to say that Carl Lewis isn't happy about Team USA's athletics performance in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Lewis is a former Olympic athlete and won nine gold medals for his country over the course of his sporting career.

His career spanned from 1979 to 1996 and he was best known for sprint and long jump events.

Since his retirement, Team USA have continued to go from strength to strength and this year have managed to achieve a whopping 125 medals in Paris (at the time of writing).

Advert

Carl Lewis has publicly criticised Team USA Track and Field. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Carl Lewis has publicly criticised Team USA Track and Field. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

America has achieved 14 golds in the athletics, but Friday's men's 4x100m relay race (August 9) wasn't their day as the team ended up being disqualified.

Why, I hear you ask? Because of an illegal pass.

Christian Coleman crashed into teammate Kenny Bednarek while making the exchange between the first and second leg. Coleman also handed the baton over outside the exchange zone, therefore going against the rules.

Advert

The rules state, as per World Athletics: "The baton shall be passed within the takeover zone. The passing of the baton commences when it is first touched by the receiving athlete and is completed the moment it is in the hand of only the receiving athlete.

Team USA was disqualified from the men's 4x100m relay. (Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Team USA was disqualified from the men's 4x100m relay. (Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"In relation to the takeover zone, it is only the position of the baton which is decisive. Passing of the baton outside the takeover zone shall result in disqualification."

Following the team's botched relay race, Lewis took to social media and called upon an upheaval of 'the system'.

Advert

"It is time to blow up the system," Lewis wrote on Friday. "This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at @usatf is more concerned with relationships than winning."

He added: "No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom."

Doubling down on his disappointment, NBC Olympics' Lewis Johnson reported that Lewis was 'furious'.

The ex Olympian has called for change. (Twitter/@Carl_Lewis)
The ex Olympian has called for change. (Twitter/@Carl_Lewis)

Advert

He said, as per NBC New York: "Carl is furious and he's angry about multiple things. First of all, he's angry about a system that he says is not set up to help the athletes from the United States moves forward and do well.

"He said if Noah Lyles was out sick with Covid, they should have just replaced the anchor leg and nothing else. But the fact they reordered the entire relay had him worried, and in the end had him upset."

People online are now campaigning for Lewis to coach Team USA for Los Angeles 2028.

"Please step in Mr Lewis. This hurt my heart," one person tweeted, as another person added: "Carl Lewis should be an Olympic track coach or at minimum a consultant for the USA Olympics team in Los Angeles 2028!"

Advert

USA Track & Field declined to comment when approached by UNILAD.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Arturo Holmes/Cameron Spencer

Topics: Olympics, News, World News, Sport, Twitter, US News

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Olympic athlete stretchered off the track after horrifying fall in steeplechase final
  • Jordan Chiles ordered to return Olympic bronze medal after USA Gymnastics appeal fails
  • Track and field athlete, 19, suddenly dies after taking nap following competition
  • Olympic medallist tragically dies aged 49 after being struck by lightning on family vacation

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    America’s ‘harshest’ death row prison gives shocking new privileges to killer inmates

    One death row inmate has said the new scheme has given him hope

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Andy Byron's company speaks out after married CEO was caught with employee on Coldplay kiss cam

    The viral video has got people all over the internet talking

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Woman diagnosed with brain tumor after dismissing symptoms as a cold that wouldn’t go away

    Amanda Hyne, from Connecticut, initially thought her symptoms were down to 'mom stress'

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Harvard professor reveals the most important thing marriages need to survive

    Arthur Brooks, American academic and author, made his opinion known on a podcast last year

    News