Carl Lewis

Being the world's fastest human and longest jumper wasn't enough for Carl Lewis. … But in the end there was one thing he couldn't escape: hisown talent. One by one, all the trappings that were supposed to make him unique fell away like leaves, leaving only this rare, bare-trunk truth: Excelling at the simplest things — running and jumping — for the longest time is what has made Carl Lewis unlike any athlete who ever lived.

Source: Smith, Gary. Sports Illustrated (August 17, 1992): 40.