“Why we haven't won the Olympics since 2000” - Carl Lewis criticizes US Men's 4x100m relay team selection process

Carl Lewis, a legendary figure in American sprinting and a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, has criticized the US men's 4x100m relay team for their failure to include athlete Kenny Bednarek in the team. Bednarek expressed his disappointment on Twitter, stating that despite his achievements and qualifications, he had not received a call to join the relay team.

Kenny Bednarek represented Team USA in the World Championships for two years in a row. He won silver medals most of the times he participated.

Kenny Bednarek at World Athletics Championships Oregon22

His tweet said:

"I still haven’t gotten a call for any relay team after making the 100m team officially at the 2020 Olympics after finishing 4th at Nationals and the 200m team at the Olympics 2020, WC 2022, and WC 2023. Even after winning a Silver medal at the Olympics and Worlds! That is very disappointing."

The post garnered significant attention, with one fan reacting by suggesting to lobby the coach through his agent or sponsor rather than making his frustrations public is the best way. The fan went further to wish Bednarek the best, as he will be representing Team USA in the 200m event.

"Your best bet for getting a Relay spot is to lobby the coach through your agent or sponsor and not publicly. All the best in Budapest."

The US Men's 4x100m relay team has a storied history, having won the event a record 15 times at the Olympic Games. However, their last victory occurred in 2000 in Sydney. In recent years, the team has faced difficulties, including disqualifications and failure to achieve a medal in the past two Olympic Games.

Carl Lewis chimed in, questioning the suggestion and adding that this approach is one of the reasons why the US has struggled to win the Olympics since 2000.

"And that's one of the reasons why we haven't won the Olympics since 2000."

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Carl Lewis shares insights on the physical characteristics of world-class sprinters and long jumpers

Carl Lewis at Team USA Awards

Carl Lewis just revealed the characteristics that are responsible and common to world-class athletics. He took to social media to give advice on the same.

A fan took to Twitter to inquire about the typical body associated with sprinting.

"It would be interesting to know the typical body build type and weight of sprint champions and record holders. Also, do you know if there's much, if any, difference in height, body build, and weight among top sprinters compared to top long jumpers?"

In response to the fan's query about the typical body build and weight of sprint champions and record holders, as well as the differences between sprinters and long jumpers, Carl Lewis provided insights on the shared characteristics of world record holders. He mentioned that athletes such as Asafa Powell, Bob Beamon, Ralph Boston, and Jesse Owens were all tall and lean, suggesting that these physical attributes are commonly observed among successful athletes in both sprinting and long jumping disciplines.

"The same. Powell, Beamon, Boston, and Owens were all also tall and lean."