Mike Powell set the men’s long-jump world record of 8.95 metres at the 1991 World Championships.
Powell made the jump in Tokyo on 30 August 1991, defeating Carl Lewis in one of the most celebrated competitions in athletics history. His winning leap came in the fifth round and surpassed Bob Beamon’s 8.90-metre world record, which had stood since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Lewis also jumped beyond Beamon’s mark during the contest, but his wind reading was not legal for record purposes. Powell’s jump had a legal tailwind of 0.3 metres per second, well below the 2.0 m/s limit for ratification.
Powell won two Olympic silver medals, in 1988 and 1992, but never Olympic gold. His 8.95 metres remains the long-jump world record, while Beamon’s mark remains the Olympic record.