View source for Mark Lewis-Francis

{{Short description|British track and field sprinter (b.1982)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Mark Lewis-Francis <br /> <small>[[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>
| image = Mark Lewis-Francis Osaka07.jpg
| image_size = 150px
| caption = Lewis-Francis in Osaka, 2007.
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|09|04}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, England
| height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|89|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event = Sprints (100 m & 4 × 100 m relay)
| club = [[Birchfield Harriers]]
| pb = '''100&nbsp;m''': 10.04 s (Paris 2002)<br />
'''200&nbsp;m''': 20.89 s (Loughborough 2010)
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport | Men's athletics }}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Olympic Games]] }}
{{Medal|Gold | [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] }}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 Helsinki]] | [[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]] | [[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]] }}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2001 Lisbon]] | [[2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres|60&nbsp;m]] }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]] }}
{{Medal|Gold | [[2006 European Athletics Championships|2006 Gothenburg]] | [[2006 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2010 European Athletics Championships|2010 Barcelona]] | [[2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 100 metres|100 m]] }}
{{Medal|Country | {{ENG}} }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Commonwealth Games]] }}
{{Medal|Gold | [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]] | [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]] | [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Men's 100 metres|100 m]] }}
{{Medal|Country | {{flagicon|Europe}} [[European Athletic Association|Europe]] }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[IAAF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]] }}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2006 IAAF World Cup|2006 Athens]] | [[2006 IAAF World Cup – Results#4 × 100 m relay|4 × 100 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2010 IAAF Continental Cup|2010 Split]] | [[2010 IAAF Continental Cup results#Men's 100 metres|100 m]] }}
}}

'''Mark Anthony Lewis-Francis,''' [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 4 September 1982) is a retired British track and field athlete, specifically a [[Sprint (running)|sprinter]], who specialised in the [[100 metres]] and was an accomplished regular of GB 4 × 100 m relay. A renowned junior, his greatest sporting achievement at senior level has been to anchor the [[Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] [[4 × 100 metres relay]] team to a gold medal at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]]. Individually, Lewis-Francis has won the silver medal in the [[2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 100 metres|100 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships]] and silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, men's 100 m final.

== Career ==
Lewis-Francis, a member of the [[Birchfield Harriers]] athletics club and known as the "Darlaston Dart",{{citation needed|date=July 2025}} burst onto the scene at an early age but did not attend the [[2000 Summer Olympics]], instead competing at the [[IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]], in which he won gold. In 2001 Lewis-Francis won a [[2001 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres#Quarter-finals|World Athletics Championships 100 m quarter-final heat]] in 9.97&nbsp;seconds, which would have been a [[List of junior world records in athletics|junior world record]], but a wind gauge malfunction meant it was unratifiable. 

Lewis-Francis became the [[List of British champions in 100 metres|British 100 metres champion]] after winning the British [[AAA Championships]] title at the [[2002 AAA Championships]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref> and became Britain's top 100&nbsp;m sprinter after [[Dwain Chambers]] was banned for drug use in 2003. 

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he represented [[Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Great Britain]] and missed out on the final of the 100&nbsp;m at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], but days later ran the final leg of the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]], famously holding off former Olympic champion and world record holder [[Maurice Greene (athlete)|Maurice Greene]], allowing the Great Britain team to narrowly win in a time of 38.07&nbsp;seconds. The gold medal team consisted of Lewis-Francis, [[Marlon Devonish]], [[Darren Campbell]] and [[Jason Gardener]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/feb/22/olympic-moments-great-britain-relay |title=50 stunning Olympic moments No15: Great Britain's 2004 relay victory |date=22 February 2012 |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Rob Bagchi}}</ref> As the last of the four in both race and alphabetical order, Lewis-Francis became the fiftieth man to win a gold medal for [[Great Britain at the Olympics|Great Britain in Athletics at the Olympics]].{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

He left his home town of [[Birmingham]] in 2005 to move to [[Eton, Berkshire|Eton]] and train with a new coach.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

After a year out with an Achilles injury, Lewis-Francis engaged in warm weather training in [[California]] with his new coach [[Linford Christie]]. Putting a history of injuries behind him, he set his sights on making the 100&nbsp;m final at the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics|Berlin World Championships]].<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8065994.stm Bolt success drives Lewis-Francis]. [[BBC Sport]] (24 May 2009). Retrieved on 24 May 2009.</ref> However, he failed to make the team.

Following a late call up to the Great Britain squad, in July 2010 he won silver at the [[2010 European Athletics Championships]] in a time of 10.18 seconds, his first major individual medal at senior level. Unfortunately, three days later in a heat of the [[2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]], he blundered during the baton exchange that resulted in the team not making the final.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Chadband |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/7919984/European-Athletics-Championships-2010-Mark-Lewis-Francis-accepts-blame-for-relay-shambles.html |title=European Athletics Championships 2010: Mark Lewis-Francis accepts blame for relay shambles |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=31 July 2010 |access-date=18 August 2013}}</ref> Nonetheless, he was selected to represent Europe at the [[2010 IAAF Continental Cup]] and he took the bronze medal, while European champion [[Christophe Lemaitre]] won the race.<ref>Ramsak, Bob (4 September 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WCP10/news/newsid=58206.html EVENT Report – Men's 100 Metres]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 7 October 2010.</ref> Lewis-Francis gained a second silver of the season at the [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Commonwealth Games]]: he recorded a season's best run of 10.15&nbsp;seconds in the qualifiers and he ran 10.20&nbsp;seconds to finish as runner-up behind [[Lerone Clarke]] in the final, having pulled himself back into contention after his [[starting blocks]] slipped.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9070902.stm Commonwealth Games 2010: Lewis-Francis wins 100m silver]. [[BBC Sport]] (7 October 2010). Retrieved on 7 October 2010.</ref>

Lewis-Francis joined the British [[bobsleigh]] team in August 2015, joining former track teammates [[Simeon Williamson]] and [[Joel Fearon]] in the team, with an aim to compete in the [[2018 Winter Olympics]] in [[Pyeongchang]], whilst also hoping to be selected for the sprints at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/34074597 |title=Mark Lewis-Francis targets 2018 Winter Olympic bobsleigh medal |last1=Hope |first1=Nick |date=12 September 2015 |website=[[bbc.co.uk]] |access-date=26 September 2015}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{World Athletics}}
* [https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/mark-lewisfrancis-british-golden-boy-on-mission-to-leave-world-gasping-in-his-wake-563404.html Interview] from ''[[The Independent]]''

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|2004}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Great Britain Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 4x100 m Men|2010}}
{{Footer European Champions 4x100 m Men}}
{{British Indoor Athletics Championships men's 60 metres champions}}
{{Footer Junior World Champions 100 m Men}}
{{Footer World Junior Champions men's 4x100 metres}}
{{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions 100 Metres Men}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis-Francis, Mark}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Darlaston]]
[[Category:People educated at Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School]]
[[Category:English men sprinters]]
[[Category:British men sprinters]]
[[Category:English Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Black British sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Black British people]]
[[Category:English people of Ghanaian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Ghanaian descent]]
[[Category:Birchfield Harriers]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]