Florence Griffith Joyner
American sprinter who set world records in 1988.
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Florence Griffith Joyner was an American sprinter who set world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters in 1988.[1]
Key facts and history
Her mother moved the family to the Jordan Downs public housing complex in Watts when Florence was a child.[1] She joined the Sugar Ray Robinson Organization in elementary school and won the Jesse Owens National Youth Games at ages 14 and 15.[2] At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she won a silver medal in the 200 meters behind Valerie Brisco-Hooks.[1] She died in her sleep on September 21, 1998, at age 38, from suffocation during a severe epileptic seizure.[3]
She moved to UCLA in 1980 and completed a bachelor's degree in psychology there in 1983.[4][1] Griffith Joyner declared her retirement from competitive racing in February 1989.[5]
What the cited sources add
The same article notes that she was noticeably more muscular in build in 1988.[6] The Chicago Tribune article also states that Griffith Joyner designed a racing suit called the "one-legger" with one leg cut off at the crotch.[7] That same source indicates she achieved an American record while winning the 200 meters at the Olympic trials.[1]
References
- Schwartz, "FloJo Made Speed Fashionable", ESPN.com. facts only, no text reused. espn.com
- Wikipedia, "Florence Griffith Joyner" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Childs, "The mother behind the Olympian reveals the spirit that was Flo Jo", L.A. Watts Times, August 10, 2012; Schwartz, "ESPN Classic - FloJo sets 100 record at 1988 Olympic Trials", ESPN, November 19, 2003; Childs, "The mother behind the Olympian reveals the spirit that was Flo Jo", L.A. Watts Times, August 10, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Florence Griffith Joyner" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anderson, "The Uneasy Death Of Florence Griffith Joyner", salon.com, December 5, 1998 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Florence Griffith Joyner" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schwartz, "ESPN Classic - FloJo sets 100 record at 1988 Olympic Trials", ESPN, November 19, 2003; Hymans, R. (2008) The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field . USA Track & Field. usatf.org; Schwartz, "FloJo Made Speed Fashionable", ESPN.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Florence Griffith Joyner" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Moore, "The Spoils Of Victory", April 10, 1989; "Florence Griffith-Joyner", CNN, July 8, 2008; Schwartz, "FloJo Made Speed Fashionable", ESPN.com; "Florence Griffith-Joyner", CNN, July 8, 2008; Macnow, "Cash Flo Griffith Joyner Leads The Pack In Cashing In On The Olympics", Philly.com, December 16, 1988; "TAC Board Approves Random Drug Testing", Los Angeles Times, 1989-03-13; "Sports People: Track and Field; Griffith Joyner Gets Sullivan Award", The New York Times, March 7, 1989; "World Athletes of the Year", World Athletics (w en.wikipedia.org
- Rowbottom, "Athletics: Flo-Jo's flamboyant life and times", The Independent, September 21, 1998. facts only, no text reused. independent.co.uk
- Hersh, "Griffith-joyner Nails 100-meter Dash Final", Chicago Tribune, July 18, 1988. facts only, no text reused. chicagotribune.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Florence Griffith Joyner (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m
- Gold 1988 Seoul 200 m
- Gold 1988 Seoul 4 × 100 m
- Silver 1984 Los Angeles 200 m
- Silver 1988 Seoul 4 × 400 m
- Gold World Championships — 1987 Rome 4 × 100 m
- Silver World Championships — 1987 Rome 200 m
Olympic Games and trials results
| Race | Venue | Date | Round | Time | Wind | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | Indianapolis | July 16, 1988 | Qualifying heat | 10.60w | +3.2 | |
| 100 m | Indianapolis | July 16, 1988 | Quarter-final | 10.49 | ±0.0 | WR |
| 100 m | Indianapolis | July 17, 1988 | Semi-final | 10.70 | +1.6 | |
| 100 m | Indianapolis | July 17, 1988 | Final | 10.61 | +1.2 | |
| 100 m | Seoul | September 24, 1988 | Qualifying heat | 10.88 | +1.0 | |
| 100 m | Seoul | September 24, 1988 | Quarter-final | 10.62 | +1.0 | |
| 100 m | Seoul | September 25, 1988 | Semi-final | 10.70w | +2.6 | |
| 100 m | Seoul | September 25, 1988 | Final | 10.54w | +3.0 | |
| 200 m | Indianapolis | July 22, 1988 | Qualifying heat | 21.96 | +0.6 | |
| 200 m | Indianapolis | July 22, 1988 | Quarter-final | 21.77 | −0.1 | |
| 200 m | Indianapolis | July 23, 1988 | Semi-final | 21.90w | +2.4 | |
| 200 m | Indianapolis | July 23, 1988 | Final | 21.85 | +1.3 | |
| 200 m | Seoul | September 28, 1988 | Qualifying heat | 22.51 | ||
| 200 m | Seoul | September 28, 1988 | Quarter-final | 21.76 | +0.7 | |
| 200 m | Seoul | September 29, 1988 | Semi-final | 21.56 | +1.7 | WR |
| 200 m | Seoul | September 29, 1988 | Final | 21.34 | +1.3 | WR |
| 100 m relay ( 4 × 100 m relay ) | Seoul | October 1, 1988 | Semi-Final | (team time 42.12) | ||
| 100 m relay ( 4 × 100 m relay ) | Seoul | October 1, 1988 | Final | (team time 41.98) | ||
| 400 m relay split ( 4 × 400 m relay ) | Seoul | October 1, 1988 | Final | 48.08 / (team time 3:15.51) |
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki | 4th | 200 m | 22.46 | wind +1.5 |
Season's bests
| Year | 100 meters | 200 meters | 400 meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 11.12 | 22.39 | — |
| 1983 | 11.06 | 22.23 | 50.94 |
| 1984 | 10.99 | 22.04 | — |
| 1985 | 11.00 | 22.50 | 50.89 |
| 1986 | 11.42 | 23.51 | — |
| 1987 | 10.96 | 21.96 | — |
| 1988 | 10.49 | 21.34 | 52.50 |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Florence Griffith Joyner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Florence Griffith Joyner (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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