Florence Griffith Joyner

America’s Florence Griffith Joyner was a superb sprinter who completely dominated the women’s track season in 1988. As Florence Griffith, she had been a top female sprinter since the early 1980s, but one who had never quite been able to win the bigger races. Between the 1984 and 1988 Olympics she married Al Joyner, gold medalist in the triple jump at the Los Angeles Olympics. In 1988, after setting a world record of 10.49 for 100 metres at the U.S. Olympic Trials, she won three golds and one silver medal at the Seoul Games. Victories in the 100 metres and 200 metres, in which she twice broke the world record (21.56 in the semis, and 21.34 in the final), were followed by a third gold in the sprint relay and a silver in the 4×400 metres relay. She had previously won a silver medal in the 200 metres in 1984, and at the World Championships, she also won a silver medal in 1987. Griffith Joyner was NCAA Champion over 200 metres in 1982 and 400 metres in 1983. The flamboyant outfits she wore on the track made her a darling of the media who gave her the nickname “Flo-Jo”. After her track career ended, she had some health problems with a seizure disorder and tragically died quite young from a seizure while sleeping.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.49 (1988); 200 – 21.34 (1988); 400 – 50.86 (1985).