The event was won by 3 cm by Carl Lewis of the United States, the nation's third consecutive and 19th overall gold medal in the men's long jump.

Mike Powell repeated his silver medal performance from 1988, becoming the eighth two-medal winner in the event.

Joe Greene took bronze, completing the United States' second consecutive and fourth overall (1896, 1904, 1988) medal sweep in the men's long jump.

Lewis was looking for a third gold, but Powell had beaten him at the 1991 world championships (finally breaking Bob Beamon's 1968 world record of 8.90 metres with an 8.95 metre jump, as well as snapping Lewis's streak of 65 straight victories in the long jump) and the U.S. Olympic trials.

The qualifying round gave each competitor three jumps to achieve a distance of 8.05 metres; if fewer than 12 men did so, the top 12 (including all those tied) would advance.