Steven Lewis

{{short description|English pole vaulter}}

{{For|similarly-named people|Steve Lewis (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2018}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Steven Lewis 2012 JumpandFly.JPG

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom

| height ={{height|m=1.91}}

| weight ={{convert|84|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| country = {{GBR}}

| sport =Athletics

| event =Pole Vault

| coach =

| highestranking =World Number 3

| pb =5.82

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country | {{ENG}}}}

{{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{Medal|Gold| 2014 Glasgow | Pole vault}}

{{Medal|Silver | 2010 Delhi | Pole vault}}

{{Medal|Bronze| 2006 Melbourne | Pole vault}}

| updated = 7 August 2014

}}

Steven ("Steve") James Lewis (born 20 May 1986) is an English pole vaulter. His personal best jump of 5.82 metres, set in July 2012, is the former British record for the event.Jackowski, Pawel (2012-07-22). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=66081.html Wlodarczyk and Alekna underscore London medal aspirations in Szczecin]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-22. Indoors his best is 5.77 m, achieved in Dessau on 2 March 2012.{{Cite web

| url = http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/steven-lewis-196576

| title = IAAF: Steven Lewis {{!}} Profile

| website = iaaf.org

| access-date = 2016-02-28

}}

Lewis was born in Stoke-on-Trent, and he attended Holden Lane High School.{{Cite web |url=http://6towns.co.uk/news/2012/02/stoke-born-team-gb-pole-vaulter-steve-lewis-talks-6-towns-radio-listen-again |title=Stoke born Team GB Pole Vaulter Steve Lewis talks to 6 Towns Radio - Listen again | 6 Towns Radio |access-date=12 March 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714024132/http://6towns.co.uk/news/2012/02/stoke-born-team-gb-pole-vaulter-steve-lewis-talks-6-towns-radio-listen-again |archive-date=14 July 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} Originally a hurdler, he switched to pole vaulting.{{Cite web

| url = http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/athletics/1033047/steven_lewis.html

| title = Glasgow 2014 - Steven Lewis Profile

| website = g2014results.thecgf.com

| access-date = 2016-02-28

}} Lewis finished in fourth place at the 2009 European Indoor Championships with jump of 5.71 m, which resulted in British head coach Charles van Commenee praising his development.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7931647.stm Van Commenee rues missed targets]. BBC Sport (2009-03-08). Retrieved on 2009-03-11.Broadbent, Rick (2009-03-09). [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article5871074.ece Coach spells out need for improvement]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. The Times. Retrieved on 2009-03-11.

He represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics and is a three-time medalist for England at the Commonwealth Games. He has participated at the World Championships in Athletics on five occasions (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015) and was a finalist on multiple occasions. He has been a finalist at the IAAF World Indoor Championships three times.

Lewis achieved a personal best and broke the British record of 5.80 m set by Nick Buckfield in 1998, with a vault of 5.82 m at the 2012 Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Szczecin, Poland.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18945145|title = Lewis breaks British vault record|work = BBC Sport}} He competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing in fourth place with a vault of 5.75 m, becoming Britain's most successful men's pole vault Olympian.

In 2014, he won the Commonwealth title, completing a full set of Commonwealth medals.

Injured in 2016 Lewis missed the Rio Olympic Qualification Standard and retired in early 2017 in Reno, Nevada. Lewis is considered the most successful British pole-vaulter of all time after representing Great Britain in major championship finals consistently over a 12-year period, winning 13 national titles, breaking junior and senior records, and winning international medals.