Florence Griffith Joyner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Griffith Joyner in 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co-chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1993–1998 Serving with Tom McMillen[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Bill Clinton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Arnold Schwarzenegger (as chairman) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lee Haney (as chair) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Florence Delorez Griffith[2] December 21, 1959[3] Los Angeles, California, U.S.[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | September 21, 1998 (aged 38)[3] Mission Viejo, California, U.S.[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resting place | El Toro Memorial Park, Lake Forest, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Flo-Jo[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 126 lb (57 kg)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 100 meters, 200 meters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Tiger World Class Athletic Club West Coast Athletic Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 100m: 10.49 WR[note 1] 200m: 21.34 WR 400m: 50.89 4 × 100m: 41.55 4 × 400m: 3:15.51 AR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner[4] (born Florence Delorez Griffith;[2] December 21, 1959 – September 21, 1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete and the fastest woman ever recorded. She set world records in 1988 for the 100 m and 200 m. During the late 1980s, she became a popular figure due to both her record-setting athleticism and eclectic personal style.
Griffith Joyner was born and raised in California. She was athletic from a young age and began running at track meets as a child. While attending California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she continued to compete in track and field. While still in college, she qualified for the 100 m 1980 Olympics but did not compete due to the U.S. boycott. She made her Olympic debut four years later, winning a silver medal in the 200 meter distance at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. At the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials, Griffith set a new world record in the 100-meter sprint. She won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics.
In February 1989, Griffith Joyner abruptly retired from athletics. She remained a pop culture figure through endorsement deals, acting, and designing. In 1998, at age 38, she died in her sleep during an epileptic seizure caused by a birth defect. Griffith Joyner is buried at the El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest.
- ^ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (August 24, 2021). "History of the Council". health.gov. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Nathan Aaseng. African-Jamaican Athletes. Infobase. ISBN 9781438107783. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Florence Griffith Joyner". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ Whitaker, Matthew C. (2011). Icons of Black America: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries, Volume 1. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-313-37642-9.
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