TRACK AND FIELD TAC CHAMPIONSHIPS : Lewis Rescues Streak on Final Jump

For the second time in less than 24 hours, Carl Lewis found himself behind in a competition Saturday at Downing Stadium in the USA/Mobil Outdoor Championships.

But unlike the day before, when he had no more than a few seconds to contemplate his predicament in the 100 meters, he had time to see the last 10 years of his life pass before his eyes in a dramatic long jump duel with Mike Powell.

Ten years, three months, two days. That is how long it had been since Lewis had finished anything but first in the long jump, a period in which he had built a 64-meet winning streak. He might look back some day and say that the 65th was the most difficult of all.

Through five of the six rounds Saturday, it appeared that Powell, who finished second to Lewis in the 1988 Summer Olympics, was about to prove that his No. 1 ranking in the world last year was more than merely a paper title.

Most among the crowd of 11,283 on the final day of the national championships seemed to sense that they were about to witness another great moment in track and field, as the crowd here had Friday when Leroy Burrell set the world record in the 100 meters in 9.90 seconds.

But anyone who watched Lewis come from far behind in that race to almost catch Burrell at the tape, finishing second in 9.93, would have known never to discount him.

Powell certainly did not.

When Lewis nailed the best jump of the afternoon, indeed his best since the 1988 Summer Olympics--28 feet 4 1/4 inches--on his final attempt, Powell gritted his teeth, slapped hands with another opponent and began to prepare with renewed intensity for his last jump.

“When he made that jump, it didn’t bother me,” said Powell, who is from West Covina. “I knew he was going to do it. He’s been winning for 10 years now. He’s so tough mentally.”

Powell was so sure of Lewis’ resiliency that he had passed on his fifth jump in order to conserve energy in case he had to take a sixth.

Powell had taken the lead in the first round at 28-1 3/4, watched Lewis respond on his second jump of 28-2 1/4, then regained the lead on his own second jump of 28-3 3/4. Even though he had had three efforts of more than 28 feet, that was the jump that Lewis was still trying to better in the sixth round, and he did--by one centimeter (one-half inch).

Then, it was Powell’s turn. But he could not respond, jumping 27-11 1/2 on his final attempt. Reviewing it in his mind later, he said that he started too far back on the runway, lost his rhythm and had to stutter-step at the take-off board.

“I’m ranked No. 1, but I know that I have to beat him if I’m really going to be recognized as the best,” said Powell, 27. “I thought I was going to beat him today, and I still think I’m going to beat him sometime. But he’s a great champion.”

Of small consolation to Powell, it was the closest anyone had come to beating Lewis since the streak was only nine meets old. He and Roy Mitchell each jumped 26-4 1/4 at the 1981 Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, but Lewis was declared the winner because he had the longest second mark.

But Lewis said he remembers the 1988 Olympic trials in Indianapolis as his closest call. Under the threat of thunderstorms, and lightning striking all around, Lewis came from behind in the third round to beat Larry Myricks. Myricks was third Saturday with a best of 27-10 3/4.

“I didn’t know if he was going to do it today,” said Lewis’ coach, Tom Tellez. “He’s a great talent, but what separates him from everyone else is his heart. If anyone has one that’s better, I don’t know who he is.”

Lewis, who will turn 30 in two weeks, said that he is not ready to relinquish his role as the pre-eminent track and field athlete in the United States, despite attempts by some in the media to write him off before this meet. Some predicted that he would not earn a berth on the U.S. team that will compete in the Aug. 24-Sept. 2 World Championships in Tokyo.

“Right now, I’m running faster and jumping farther than I thought I would at this time of the year,” he said. “That gives me a tremendous amount of confidence.”

That is not something he had in short supply to begin with.