Carl Lewis, who won four gold medals...

Carl Lewis, who won four gold medals in the 1984 Olympic Games, said he was dismissed from the U.S. World Cup track team by a coach and not by a vote from other members of the American 400-meter relay team.

Lewis was scheduled to compete for the United States in the World Cup Games last weekend at Canberra, Australia, but U.S. Coach Russ Rogers said he’d been voted off the team for failing to show up for relay practice.

Rogers said that Lewis was voted off by relay-team members Kirk Baptiste, Calvin Smith and Harvey Glance. Dwayne Evans replaced Lewis on the U.S. team in Australia, and the Americans won the event with a 38.10-second clocking. One of Lewis’ four gold medals came when he ran the anchor leg to a 37.83 world record at Los Angeles.

“There was never a vote,” Lewis told the Houston Post. “Kirk was right there. He said the coaches told them they thought I should be kicked off the team and asked them if they agreed. Then they came out the next day saying the athletes voted to kick me off the team.”

Lewis said the action made him appear unpatriotic.

“I’ve always run my best for the national team,” Lewis said. “For them to pull this stunt and make it seem like I’m un-American is ridiculous. I’ve been more of a team person than anybody in track and field the last few years.”