Florence Griffith-Joyner (1959-1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. She remains the fastest woman of all-time.
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Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Today’s Olympian set world records for speed and did it in style. She was well-known for her colorful track uniforms and 6-inch nails. The records she set at the 1988 Olympics remain untouched. Today, we’re talking about the fastest woman ever: Florence “FloJo” Griffith-Joyner.
Florence was born Florence Delorez Griffith on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. She was the seventh of eleven children. Florence began developing her sense of style early on — as one story goes, she was known to wear her pet boa constrictor as an accessory!
Florence also found her calling in sports at a young age: she was running competitively by the time she was 7 and by the age of 14 she won the Jesse Owens National Youth Games.
Florence ran at the college level at California State University at Northridge, but dropped out after a year to support her family working instead.
Even so, Florence’s coach convinced her to keep running. He helped her find financial aid, and when he transferred to UCLA, Florence enrolled as well. She continued to train, becoming an NCAA champion in the 200- and 400-meter events. She graduated with a degree in psychology in 1983.
The following year, Florence made her Olympic debut in her hometown of Los Angeles. She took home a silver medal for the 200-meter dash and stunned audiences with her speed. She also made an impact with her iconic appearance: she wore form-fitting, brightly colored bodysuits and sported 6 inch nails with colorful designs.
A few years later, Florence married Al Joyner, a fellow athlete. He became both her husband and coach, and Florence started training for the next Olympics. Florence hyphenated her husband’s name to her own, and she was officially dubbed “Flo Jo.”
While trying out for the 1988 Olympics, Florence broke a world record for the first time. And she did it in an eye-catching, bright purple, one-legged leotard; a style she’d often come back to. This iconic outfit has inspired many others, including Serena William’s asymmetric Australian Open suit.
Over the course of the 1988 trials, Florence’s runs marked the three fastest times for a woman in the 100 meter dash. And at the 1988 Seoul Games, Florence took home four medials: three gold and one silver. Her nails were painted red, white, blue, and gold for the occasion.
Her performance earned her the title “Athlete of the Year” from Track and Field Magazine, as well as “Female Athlete of the Year” from The Associated Press.
Following the 1988 Olympics, Florence retired from running and turned to her other talents. She took a job designing uniforms for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, created nail art, recorded fitness videos, and even had a doll made in her likeness. She also gave birth to a daughter, Mary, in 1990.
Florence’s retirement also came amid a new scandal. She had improved substantially in the 4 years between her Olympic showings, despite an already impressive showing in ‘84. Other athletes spread rumors about her coach’s training techniques, and Florence came under suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs. Florence denied the accusations, and passed every drug test administered to her. Still, the rumors continued to circle Florence’s career for the rest of her life.
Despite the suspicions, Florence was largely celebrated by the American media . In 1993, Florence was appointed co-chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. Two years later, she was inducted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame.
In the early 1990s she also started training for a comeback for the 1992 Olympics, but her attempt was cut short by tendinitis.
Florence died unexpectedly on September 21, 1998, of an eplileptic seizure. She was only 38 years old. To this day, no one has broken her world records in the 100-meter dash or 200-meter dash.
All month, we’re talking about Olympians.
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