Carl Lewis' 3-Day Silver Olympic Medal

Since the very first Olympics in 1896, there have always been drama and controversies in the games. One of the most controversial and infamous events in Olympic history was played out in the 100m Men's Final at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. In a highly anticipated race, the defending champion, Carl Lewis won the silver medal in a time of 9.92s, while Ben Johnson grabbed the gold medal in a world record time of 9.79s.

To understand the significance of Lewis' silver medal and the controversy which followed, let's go back to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Hardly the darling of the American public, Carl Lewis set out to emulate Jesse Owens' four gold medal haul at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany. Competing in the Men's 100m, Men's 200m, Men's Long Jump, and Men's 4x100m Relay, Lewis won his gold medals without much trouble, cementing his position as the "King of Track and Field."

In the 1984 Olympic 100m Men's Final, Ben Johnson of Canada finished third, 0.23s behind Lewis. Shortly thereafter, he rose to become Carl Lewis' most formidable opponent in the Men's 100m, threatening to derail Lewis' hopes of retaining the title in the 1988 Olympics. Johnson defeated Lewis for the first time in 1985 and enjoyed a number of victories over his rival a few more times, culminating in a world record of 9.83s in the 100m Men's Final at the 1987 World Championships in Rome. Not a gracious loser, Lewis fueled the rivalry further by hinting that Johnson might have used performance-enhancing drugs.

In an event before the 1988 Olympics, Lewis beat Johnson, who was recovering from an injury. The public's interest in the ultimate showdown at the Olympics reached feverish heights. If the 100m Men's Final in Seoul was dubbed "The Hottest Ten Seconds in Sports," few would have doubted its legitimacy. In terms of sporting highlights, Ben Johnson delivered a knock-out blow, raising his right hand in triumph as he crossed the finish line, while turning to look at a dejected Carl Lewis.

Three days later, Ben Johnson was sensationally stripped of his gold medal after he tested positive for Stanozolol. His world record was wiped out. Carl Lewis' silver medal was upgraded to gold while Linford Christie's bronze was changed to silver. In the Men's 200m, Carl Lewis did win his one-and-only silver Olympic medal. Do you have some silver to sell? Contact the top silver buyer to enjoy instant cash for silver today!