The world long jump record set by Bob Beamon at the 1968 Olympics (8.90 meters/29 feet, 2.5 inches) was one of the most enduring in track and field history. It survived until 1991 (although, through 2008, Beamon’s mark remains the Olympic record) when American Mike Powell leaped 8.95 meters (29-4.5) at the World Outdoor Championships. As of 2008, Powell’s record still stands. Powell finished his career with six U.S. outdoor championships, two world championships plus Olympic silver medals in 1988 and 1992.

On his start in track and field.
“Probably when I was in sixth grade. Just doing youth track, recreation meets. I played all sports, so it was track season, I went up there and I started running around and jumping and stuff. I wasn’t one of the best kids, necessarily, but was having fun doing it.”

On basketball being his original favorite sport.
“I was an academic All-American basketball player. I had really great skills but no left hand dribble, which wasn’t too good for a point guard. So, I had some small (college) offers, but nothing substantial. And I got offers for track, so I took that instead.” (Powell competed for the University of California-Irvine).

On the events he competed in before turning professional.
“I was actually long jumping, high jumping, triple jumping, sprinting – I was doing a whole bunch. ... I was primarily a high jumper. In high school I jumped seven feet in the high jump, and long jump was kind of an afterthought, actually.”

On deciding to concentrate on the long jump.
“I was doing all three jumps and I ran the 4 x 1 relay also, and I jumped like 24-7 my freshman (college) year. I jumped like 7-1 3/4 in the high jump (in high school) and then I graduated high school early – I was like 17 – so my sophomore (college) year I turned 19, I just kind of grew into my body. So my first jump of my sophomore year I went 26-5½ and I was world class at that point as a long jumper.”

On gradually improving as a long jumper in college.
“Throughout my whole career, really. I was always a hard worker, definitely blessed with a lot of ability but always wanted to come back every year and do something a little bit more, get a little stronger, get a little more flexible, get a better technique, a little better focus, a little better diet. Whatever it was, I would come back with something next year to get better and better and better.”

When he realized he could turn pro.
“When I jumped that 26-5½, I said, ‛Okay, I can do something here.’ All of the sudden people said – the next couple days, the headline was, ‛Mike Powell headed to an Olympic future.’ And I’m, like, ‛Sounds good.’”

On entering the 1991 World Championships with the world record on his mind.
“That’s what I went there to do. When I started working with my coach, Randy Huntington, in 1987, he said, ‛We’re in a four-year plan toward breaking the world record. And if you’re smart, healthy, listen to what I’m saying, you’re going to achieve that.’ So we went about getting a training regimen and a diet. I trained with Willie Banks, I learned how to be a champion just from being around him. In 1988 I won the silver metal in the Olympic Games. And I was closing the gap on Carl (Lewis). When I first started competing against him he was two feet better than me. Then it became a foot and then it became six inches. And then by the time 1991 came, at the national championships, he beat me by an inch ... on his last jump, so I said, ‛Okay, I’m there. Now the next time, I’m going to get him.’ So going into the world championships, I had some great jumps that summer and then when Carl broke the world record in the 100 meters I thought, ‛Okay, speed being the biggest component in the long jump, he’s going to be ready to jump far. So if I’m going to win, I better be prepared to break the world record.’ So my focus was thinking, in order to win (the world championship) I had to break the world record.”

On whether Carl Lewis’ success was on his mind.
“No, because I knew that it was my time. I kept getting better and better and better and better. And the thing is, I mean, Carl probably would’ve had the record, but he didn’t jump very much. I always tell people, ‛Hey, it’s not my fault he was that talented (that) he had to go run the 100 and 200 and the 4 x 1.’ He would jump two, three times a year, sometimes maybe four times. I was jumping 20 times, 25 times a year. So I was honing my craft. I was getting better and better and better, and with all respect, I just thought that I was going to beat him.”

On his mind set before the record-breaking jump.
“The thing is, the way the competition went, my second jump I took a jump that, it didn’t feel very far, it felt okay, it felt like about 27-2, 27-3. And they said it was 28-1. I said, ‛Uh-oh, I’m going far today. That’s 28-1? I’m going to go far.’ So I knew I had a big jump inside of me and then when he jumped that 29-2 3/4 and I saw it was windy (i.e., wind-aided), I thought, ‛Okay, good.’ I thought, ‛If I’m going to do it I’d better do it now.’ And then he motioned to the crowd, got ‛em fired up and I just got amped up and I went out there and I knew that was going to be my moment.”

On his competition with Carl Lewis.
“I demonized Carl. I had to. The guy is a living legend in my event. So, I was like, I’m not trying to befriend this guy. We’ll be friends after we finished competing. But right now, he’s the devil, and I’ve got to (think) everything he does, he’s doing something bad to make me upset. And I did everything I could to beat that guy. And that’s what I did. So whenever he competed I took it personal, I used everything I probably could. He was one of the greatest athletes of all time, in sport – track and field, any sport.”

What he remembers about the record jump.
“The clarity that I had. Because people ask me when did I know I was going to break the record. I said, ‛When I stepped onto the runway.’ Because when I visualized my whole approach, my takeoff, my landing, and I had such clarity, I (thought), ‛This is it. I can see it. I’m about to go break the world record.’ I could feel it. The track was fast. I could see it and I just went. I kind of compare it to, like, when Michael Jordan went for 63 points or whatever, he said the basket looked like a big peach basket. Everything he threw up was going in. And I just had that kind of feeling, like, ‛It’s going to happen, you guys, watch. Just watch this, here it comes.’ So I had that moment of clarity. I’ve never had that moment of clarity since then.”

On hearing his winning distance announced.
“It’s funny, I knew the world record was 8.90 (meters) and I know the metric system because of the distances that I jumped, but I saw 8.95 and I’m like ... ‛How far is 8.95? What is that again? Is that like 29-5, 29-6?’ And they’re, ‛29-5.’ And I said, ‛Okay, cool.’”

On his career after 1991.
“I was getting older, so physically I wasn’t necessarily getting better, but my technique was better, my focus was better, my confidence was better. So it was just like, I just went out there and did what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t like, ‛Hope I get one today.’ It was like, ‛I’m doing this.’ And when you’re competing that way, the same way that Carl was for a long time, people come to the meet expecting to get second or third. And when I was competing that way people knew they were going to have a hard time beating me, because they might get a far jump but they knew that if I had one jump left I was going to come get ‛em, probably. The only one who really beat me around that time was Carl, and unfortunately it happened in the (1992) Olympics.”

On his Olympic memories.
“The first Olympics (1988) was great, because I was happy just to make the Olympic team. And to get a silver medal was like, ‛Wow.’ I thought at best I’d get a bronze, but to beat Larry (Myricks) and get silver was great. 1992 was a big disappointment because I just felt like I was a lot better than anybody in the world at that time. But Carl showed why he’s an Olympic champion. He competed, jumped his best when he needed to at the meet and I came up a little bit short, came up an inch short. That’s the way it goes. That’s probably the toughest loss of my career. In ‛96 I was hurt going into the final and I gave it my best but my body didn’t hold up.” (He pulled a muscle and finished fifth).

On his level of satisfaction with his career
“I had fun. I had a ball. I had a blast. I got a chance to travel the world, meet some great people, had great experiences that – the richest man in the world couldn’t buy the experiences that I had. So I feel really honored and blessed to have done what I’ve done.”

On whether he enjoyed coaching.
“Love it. Even the frustrating stuff, I love it because it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge for me to motivate the athletes, to get them to actually internalize what I’m teaching them and use it. I know it, but my challenge is to get them to understand it and use it. So it’s exciting, a big payoff, great relationships and it’s just good to see young people become adults.”

On scouting young athletes.
“I see them compete in high school first and I’ll see them compete in some kind of competition and I’ll talk to their coaches. I get a good feel for the kid just by talking to them and seeing what they’re like. A lot of kids can put marks out there but I want to see if they’re a winner, if they work hard, they’re dedicated and if they really want to have a good time. And make sure they’re athletes and kids that fit into our program. And that they’re student-athletes, too. UCLA is no walk in the park. They’ve got to be really good students to not only get in, but stay there and graduate.”

On coaching young athletes.
“I tried to get a read on each person. I tried to treat them all the same, but you know, you’ve got to treat people differently. Some people are really shy; some people are extroverted. I tried to make sure they understand that we’re going to work hard, but we’re going to have fun. I understand that everybody’s not me. Everybody’s not going to be a workaholic. Everybody is not going to care as much as I did about competing. A lot of the kids do, but some of them, it’s just something they do. So I just try to keep in perspective that they’re not me and I’m not living through them so they can be me. I’m just trying to give to them what I’ve gotten and try to have them have a good experience. All I ask is that they work hard.”

On his advice to young coaches.
“Make sure the kids have fun. Get a fun coaching environment and then just try to make yourself as knowledgeable as possible. Know what you know. You don’t have to know everything, but just know what you know and teach that.”

On his future goals in track and field.
“My goal is to coach the next world record-holder in the long jump.”

How he’d feel if an athlete he coached broke his record.
“I’ll get my 10 percent.”

At the time of the 2008 Olympics, Powell was working as an IAAF ambassador, attending press conferences, track meets, clinics and other events that promoted the sport of track and field. He was also coaching a group of athletes in California.