Carl Lewis is one of the most iconic names when it comes to the Olympics track and field. One of the only six Olympians to have won gold at the same individual event in four consecutive Games, Lewis is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all times. While his almost two decade-spanning career saw him achieve numerous feats, he remains a vocal advocate for uplifting the sport for all. And now, changes in the rules for long jump has prompted him to take to social media once again.

Sports regulations are something that every athlete needs to follow according to the norms set by the apex bodies. However, if changes are imposed without consulting the participants first, it can wreak havoc, and Lewis isn’t one to shy away from speaking up about it.

Olympic hero bashes World Athletics

Miltiadis Tentoglou recently won gold at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. However, his celebrations were dampened by the saddening conditions in which Tentoglou and his comrades were forced to compete. In an interview with Athletics Weekly after his recent victory, Tentoglou said, “I don’t feel anything, it was a really bad competition“. He also discussed how proposed changes in the long jump rules might make the event seem easier than it currently is. Long jumping icon Lewis took the opportunity to highlight why consulting athletes is a crucial part of any changes.

Sharing Tentoglou’s interview snippets, Lewis took to X to slam the World Athletics’ attempts to fidget with the “take-off zone”. “This is exactly why the athletes need to be consulted. They would never agree with this format change.“, vented the Olympian in his post as he went on to mention how the opinions from the athletes themselves are seemingly running low while the people behind the curtain are dabbling with the things according their whims.

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With that, the eight-time World Championships gold medalist Carl also urged the players to come forward and speak their minds about the regulatory changes. “… every jumper needs to speak up and make them understand that they will not accept these changes.“, requested Lewis. Considering the vast changes that are likely to be implemented soon, his accusations are not unfounded either.

World champion jumper makes his feelings clear

In his interview, Tentoglou claimed that the departure of the take-off zone will make long jump lose its integrity. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist said that the jumping part was the easy thing, while hitting the right spot for the jump is what that keeps the jumpers on their toes. Tentoglou went as far as stating that if the changes are implemented, he might choose to stay away from the sport in future. 

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“It’s so bad, it’s funny“, Tentoglou couldn’t help but grin when asked about his feelings on the change. “Nobody likes it“, he said, underscoring the perspective of his colleagues on the matter, adding that they would rather have the current rules continue.