What is Carl Lewis doing now? All about track and field star as he talks about life and career in new documentary

Now in his 60s and long retired from his Olympic career, the track and field legend Carl Lewis has transitioned to coaching the next generation of athletes. He is now the head coach for the University of Houston's Track and Field team.

The documentary I’m Carl Lewis!, directed by Julie Anderson and Chris Hay, provides insight about one of track and field’s greatest athletes.

The film, which premiered at SXSW, showcases Lewis’ athletic prowess and his strong opinions on the shortcomings of the Olympics’ incompetence, racial prejudice and gender bias.

According to Yahoo Sports, Carl Lewis has long been overshadowed in sports media, framed as controversial or unlikable. Even after he won four gold medals at the 1984 Olympics and the long jump at the 1996 Atlanta Games, public opinion of him was mixed.

The film adopts a chronological structure, attending to his Olympic journey from 1984 to 1996, with highlights from the 100 meter race against Ben Johnson in 1988 and the Long jump battle with Mike Powell in 1991.

Throughout his career, Lewis was a vocal advocate of fair play and clean sportsmanship. He spoke out against drug use, especially after the controversy at the 1988 Seoul Olympics when his rival Ben Johnson was disqualified for taking steroids. Talking about the incident, he stated:

"After the Olympic Games in '88, I was worn out, It did leave a lot of wear and tear on me emotionally."

A look into Carl Lewis' life beyond track and field

Lewis has dabbled in several other pursuits outside of his coaching and advocacy work. He has acted in a few movies such as the Alien Hunter and Speed Zone and also helped produce movies such as Christmas in Compton and Rift (IMDB).

He has also made appearances at several athletes shows and award ceremonies over the years. I’m Carl Lewis!, gives a closer look at the personal sacrifices he made for his career.

The film delves into his personal life, talking about his decision to stay away from long-term relationships out of concern that they could hinder his success in track and field. He said:

"I’ve never had really a private adult life, and I haven’t really had an in-depth, long-term relationship to this day. I thought that it would hurt my career,"

Lewis has continued to advocate for anti-doping and fair competition in athletics. He was also one of the first to challenge the outdated rules that had kept Olympic athletes from earning financial compensation.