Barcelona ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 13 : 1st Jump Enough for Lewis : Long jump: He leaps 28-5 1/2, and Powell’s last effort comes up 1 1/4 inches short.

It was the most anticipated event of the track and field competition in the Summer Olympics, and although it was hardly worth all the words spoken and written about it in advance, it was no less special to Carl Lewis.

“It ranks up there with the first one,” Lewis said after winning his seventh gold medal since 1984, his third in a row in the long jump. “This was by far the most difficult one for me because of the challenge.”

That challenge was presented by Mike Powell, who ended Lewis’ 65-meet winning streak and Bob Beamon’s 23-year-old world record by jumping 29 feet 4 1/2 inches in last summer’s World Championships at Tokyo.

Both Lewis and Powell said that they believed it would take a jump even beyond that to win Thursday night at Montjuic Stadium. But it was not to be as swirling winds made conditions difficult for all competitors.

The first of Lewis’ six jumps--28-5 1/2--proved to be the winner. “I felt that would just be a little gauge to shoot at,” he said. “I didn’t feel that would hold up.”

Powell was more impressed.

“That was a great jump into the wind,” he said.

Powell struggled early, even falling into third place behind Joe Greene of Dayton, Ohio, after four rounds. But after kneeling in the infield to say a prayer, Powell, of Alta Loma, made the most of his last attempt, jumping 28-4 1/4 for second place. Greene finished third at 27-4 1/2. It was the second consecutive time the United States has swept the long jump medals.

“When I see that Carl Lewis beat me for the gold medal in the Olympic Games, I can’t be too upset,” said Powell, who also won the silver medal in 1988. “Over the course of history, he’s the greatest long jumper of all time.”

Powell has been suffering from a hamstring injury, but he said that it had no effect on his performance Thursday.

“I felt as good as I’ve felt all year, so I can’t blame it on the injury,” he said. “I just didn’t have any pop today.”

Lewis also has had health problems this year, including a sinus condition that prevented him from competing at his best in the U.S. Olympic trials in June at New Orleans. He failed to earn a berth on the sprint team and finished second in the long jump to Powell.

But he said Thursday that he is in better condition than at any time since 1988 and is ready to take the long jump record from Powell later this year.

“I won today, but the war continues,” he said. “This was just one little battle that I won.”

He has another one starting today, when he will run the anchor leg for the U.S. 400-meter relay team in at least one of the two rounds. If the team wins a gold medal in Saturday’s final, it will be his eighth in three Olympics. The only track and field athlete to win more was Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi with nine, 1920-28.

But as great as Lewis has been in his career, he cannot outrun controversy. He began his victory lap after the long jump while 5,000-meter runners were on the track for a semifinal, drawing derisive whistles from the crowd.

Asked about it later, Lewis said that he thought the crowd was jeering the officials who were trying to remove him.

Track and Field Medalists

* MEN’S LONG JUMP

GOLD: Carl Lewis (United States)

SILVER: Mike Powell (United States)

BRONZE: Joe Greene (United States)