August 13, 1984
As Carl Lewis began his quest for Olympic glory, winning his first gold medal in the 100-meter dash, TIME returned to the man boasted as “the world’s fastest human” for an exclusive peek inside his training regimen, which correspondent Melissa Ludtke wrote, was strangely tranquil and relaxed. “At the Olympics it is 100% mental,” he told TIME, “because there is nothing you can change physically.” Lewis, to his credit, would go on to earn gold medals in his other three events: the 200 meter, the 4×100 meter, and the long jump.