Florence Griffith Joyner
“10.49 and 21.34 still stand. The nails were the spectacle. The clock was the life.”
After winning silver in the 200m at the 1984 Olympics, 'Flo-Jo' transformed herself into the fastest woman in history during the 1988 season. At the US Olympic Trials she ran a stunning 100m in 10.49 seconds, then dominated the Seoul Olympics with three golds and a world-record 200m. Her flamboyant style and blazing speed made her a global sensation in 1988.
Los Angeles Sprinter
Born in Los Angeles, Griffith Joyner ran track at UCLA. She won a 200m silver at the 1984 Olympics before stepping away briefly from the sport.
The 1988 Explosion
Returning with intense training, she shattered the 100m record at the 1988 Trials and dominated the Seoul Olympics with three golds. Her blend of speed and style made her track's biggest star.
An Enduring Legacy
Flo-Jo retired in 1989 at the peak of her fame. Her sudden death in 1998 at 38 shocked the world, but her records and glamorous image remain iconic.
Career Timeline
- 1959Born in Los Angeles. Watts.
- 1984Olympic silver in the 200.
- 1988Seoul. The records. Three golds.
- 1998Dies in her sleep at thirty-eight.
Biggest Hits
- Flo-Jo's world records in the 100m and 200m, set in 1988, remain unbroken more than three decades later.
- She was famous for her one-legged running suits and dramatically long, decorated fingernails.
Portrait: White House Photographic Office · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons