Steve Lewis Undershoots 1992 Olympics and Ends Up in Seoul

Track star Steve Lewis figures he has done pretty well for himself.

Lewis, who just turned 19 and was a freshman at UCLA last year, has done these things that so-called experts say should not have been possible:

--Placed second in the 400 meters at this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Assn. meet--a competition in which older, more experienced runners tend to do better.

--Run the 400 in 44.11 seconds, a world junior record, and, at the time, the second-fastest at sea level.

--Earned a ranking of No. 3 in the world, as well as the United States.

--Been part of two of the most spectacular 400 races ever--the final of the U.S. Olympic trials and the race in Zurich, Switzerland, two weeks ago in which Butch Reynolds broke the world record.

--Made the U.S. Olympic track and field team as its youngest member.

“I’m 19, I guess I’m not supposed to be here,” Lewis said Tuesday at a luncheon for what promoters are calling Gold Rush ‘88, a pre-Olympic meet Saturday at UCLA. “They say I’m not experienced enough.

“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t put limits on myself. I feel that maybe I’m more mature than a lot of other 19-year-old track runners. I’ve done more.”

He certainly has, and it has all come pretty fast for Lewis, who was born in Los Angeles, attended Banning High School and moved with his family to Fremont, Calif. Since enrolling at UCLA and coming under the direction of John Smith, himself a former world record holder at 440 yards, Lewis has surprised even himself.

“I didn’t expect to be in the ’88 Olympics,” Lewis said. “I was shooting for the ’92 Games. I just started running well. Now, I want to do well in the Games. I would like to get a medal.”

Lewis has already had a long season. He had a full college season that was interrupted by nagging shin splints. Looking back, Lewis says the time off training during his recovery might have helped him avoid burning out.

Lewis had strong performances during the collegiate season but, even so, his second-place finish at the NCAA meet behind teammate Danny Everett was something of a surprise.

And his races at the Olympic trials in July opened more eyes. Smith was besieged by reporters there, all wondering if the coach of the young sensation could have predicted Lewis’ amazing season.

“I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing with him,” Smith said in Indianapolis. “He’s surprised me. He said before this season started that his goal was to run 44.4 (seconds). Bob Larsen (UCLA’s head coach) thought he was some hot-shot freshman shooting his mouth off. I said, ‘Bob, don’t laugh. He’s serious.’ ”

Lewis is more serious now that he has seen what he’s capable of doing. He has had difficult adjustments to make--to a new coach and to college competition, to the pressure of the trials, which some athletes say is greater than at the Olympics. Then Lewis went to Europe and got an eyeful of the international circuit, which can be both distracting and intimidating to a young athlete.

“Trials helped me a lot to deal with pressure,” he said. “Being young, you would expect to be intimidated. I couldn’t get stuck on the big names. As far as running abroad, running with Innocent (Egbunike, of Nigeria) helped me.”

It was Egbunike who set the searing pace for Reynolds in the world-record race. Lewis was in the inside lane, paying close attention to Reynolds, who was outside. So Lewis was surprised that the Nigerian got out so fast.

“I saw him go and I just didn’t think he could sustain (the pace) throughout the race,” Lewis said.

Then Reynolds caught his attention. “At about the 350-meter mark, he just ran away,” Lewis said. “For a person to run a world record on you--you can’t imagine how it felt to have a person run away from you like that.”

Reynolds ran 43.29, shattering Lee Evans’ mark of 43.86, which had stood for almost 20 years. Everett was second in 44.20 and Lewis third in 44.26.

Lewis is entered in Saturday’s meet, but he said he not sure if he will run the 400 or on a relay. He is in a rest mode, having just returned from Europe and getting ready to begin his preparations for Seoul.

Through it all, Lewis has overcome his own doubts about his right to be on the Olympic team. And, his running has gone a long way to changing the minds of critics. Teen-ager or not, Lewis seems equipped to handle the pressure.

“It’s happened so fast,” he said. “I’m trying to take one step at a time, adjusting as it goes. The next step is the Games. I’m confident I’ll do well. I think the Americans will go 1-2-3. The particular order, I don’t know.”