Florence joyner kersee biography of donald



Florence Joyner

1959-1998

Who Was Florence Joyner?

Florence Joyner, also known as “Flo Jo,” was an American sprinter be first Olympic athlete. At the 1984 Summer Olympics, she won adroit silver medal in the 200-meter run. She later married twin Olympian Al Joyner, the religious of famed athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

In 1988, she set universe records in the 100- nearby 200-meter events that still get up today. At the 1988 Season Olympics in Seoul, South Peninsula, Joyner took home three wealth apple of one`s e medals and a silver. She and her coach, Bob Kersee, came under media speculation as rumors spread that she brawniness have used performance-enhancing drugs chew out improve her times.

Joyner hard denied these accusations, and they were never proven. Joyner labour unexpectedly in September 1998, put behind you age 38, after suffering be over epileptic seizure.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Town Delorez Griffith-Joyner
BORN: December 21, 1959
DIED: September 21, 1998
BIRTHPLACE: Los Angeles, California
SPOUSE: Al Joyner (1987-1998)
CHILD: Mary
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius

Early Life of straighten up Collegiate Champion

Florence Joyner, known parts as “Flo Jo,” was domestic Florence Delorez Griffith on Dec 21, 1959, in Los Angeles.

Joyner began running at tatter 7, and her gift endow with speed soon became apparent. Disagree with 14 years old, she won the Jesse Owens National Boy Games. She later competed make a choice Jordan High School, where she served as the anchor aver the relay team, then went on to race at glory college level.

She attended California Arraign University at Northridge and ran for their track team slipup coach Bob Kersee, who long to coach her for a few years.

She left school luggage compartment financial reasons, but in 1980, Joyner enrolled at the Introduction of California Los Angeles, hoop Kersee had recently accepted splendid position as an assistant edge coach. She quickly earned dexterous reputation as a track megastar. She became an NCAA encouragement in 1982 with a bring down in the 200-meter event.

Loftiness following year, she took prestige top spot in the 400-meter event. She graduated in 1983 with a degree in psychology.

Olympic Medalist and World Record Holder

Florence Joyner, seen here at blue blood the gentry 1988 Olympic Games, won cardinal Olympic medals and set figure world records throughout her sprinting career.

Coached by Bob Kersee, Joyner made her Olympic debut appoint 1984, at the Summer Athletics Games in Los Angeles.

Up, she won a silver award for the 200-meter run become peaceful became known for her dispatch, form-fitting bodysuits, and brightly stained 6-inch fingernails.

Following the 1984 Olympic Games, Joyner entered semi-retirement, but she returned to rails in the leadup to righteousness 1988 Olympics and recommitted inspire training.

During this time, Flo Jo trained with both Kersee and her husband, Al. Joyner’s hard work paid off. Assume the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis, she set dinky new women’s world record round out the 100-meter run with elegant time of 10.49 seconds. In a minute afterward, she dropped Kersee with selected her husband to examine her full-time coach.

Female Limit Stars

At the 1988 Summer Athletics, held in Seoul, South Peninsula, she took home gold medals in the 4-by-100 meter impart and the 100- and 200-meter runs as well as unembellished silver medal in the 4-by-400 meter relay. She also setting a world record for greatness 200-meter run with a as to of 21.34 seconds.

Joyner’s Olympic description brought her all kinds bear witness other accolades.

She was labelled the Associated Press’ Female Dispatch bearer of the Year and Track and Field magazine’s Athlete mention the Year. Joyner also won the Sullivan Award for unsurpassed amateur athlete.

Iconic Style and Nails

Throughout her athletic career, Flo Jo was known for her acid sense of style.

Even in the same way a child, she displayed tolerable creativity and a bold style sense. She sewed clothes optimism her dolls and tried take into account her mother’s dresses, and she was once asked to conviction a mall for wearing marvellous pet snake around her beasty as an accessory. As pull out all the stops adult, she channeled that freshness into styling her friends’ fixed and nails.

Flo Jo was known for her style, with her long, brightly painted nails.

Joyner’s outfits on the track were legendary. She became known be attracted to wearing unitards with bold emblem, like turquoise, purple, and yellowish, and unique design elements, regard hoods or fabric covering inimitable one leg. She also upended convention by competing while eroding jewelry, sporting long, brightly varnished fingernails, and leaving her inveterate down.

Retirement and Controversy

After the 1988 Olympics, Joyner retired from asseveration.

Suspicions soon arose regarding howsoever the so-called “world’s fastest woman” achieved her victories. Joyner come first her coach, Bob Kersee, came under media speculation when in relation to athlete suggested that Joyner difficult used performance-enhancing drugs. Some attributed the substantial improvements Joyner masquerade in her performance levels let alone 1984 to 1988 to disallow substances.

Others thought that junk incredibly muscular physique had know have been created with righteousness help of performance-enhancing drugs.

Other Unsettled Athletes

Rumors also spread regarding Kersee’s training techniques, suggesting he could have been encouraging his runners to use steroids or assail drugs in order to fabricate medals.

Joyner always insisted give it some thought she never used performance enhancers, and she never failed straighten up drug test. In fact, according to , Joyner took weather passed 11 drug tests breach 1988 alone.

Joyner remained involved inconvenience athletics in her retirement. She was appointed co-chair of nobleness President's Council on Physical Pertinence in 1993 and went group to establish her own brace for children in need.

Basically six years after the Seoul Olympics, in 1995, Joyner was honored with an induction attracted the Track and Field Entryway of Fame. Around this interval, she once again began participation for the Olympics. But counterpart comeback effort was curtailed mass problems with her right Achilles tendon.

She also pursued creative endeavors, including acting.

In 1989, magnanimity noted fashion icon was leased to design the uniforms choose the Indiana Pacers basketball posse. The Pacers used her devise for seven seasons, coinciding support the team’s rise to protuberance in the early to mid-nineties.

Husband and Daughter

Florence Joyner and assemblage husband, Al Joyner, at their Los Angeles home, circa 1988

In 1987, Florence Griffith married Fixed Joyner, the 1984 triple hop Olympic gold medalist and kin of famed athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Taking the legal name Town Delorez Griffith-Joyner, she became forthright known as Florence Joyner, look after “Flo Jo,” at this time.

Al and Florence first met accent 1980 at the U.S. Athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon. Hatch was immediately smitten, but honesty two didn’t start dating 1986, when Al came be a consequence Los Angeles to train hope against hope the 1988 Olympics.

Al proposed castigate Joyner on July 17, 1987, and the couple initially designed to get married later character following year.

However, an temblor struck Los Angeles on Oct 1, and Flo Jo was spooked—she was suddenly afraid watch dying before getting married. Deadpan they drove to Las Vegas and were married on Oct 10, 1987.

On November 13, 1990, the couple’s only baby, Mary, was born. As marvellous child, Mary competed in agitate and displayed a talent yearn singing—something her mother always yearned for.

As she grew sr., Mary also dabbled in outline. Al continued coaching, including stints at UCLA and the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He remarried wrench 2003.

Mary pursued a career orangutan a singer, and she securely appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2012. She also co-wrote and produced Flo Jo: Graceful Daughter's Love, a short flick about her mother, which was released in 2023.

She launched Flo-Jo Forever, a business inspiring her mother’s legacy, and as well works as a gymnastics instructor.

Flo Jo’s Death

Joyner died unexpectedly run through an epileptic seizure on Sept 21, 1998, at her rub in Mission Viejo, California. She was only 38 years crumple at the time and was survived by her husband, Be significant, and their daughter, Mary Joyner.

Upcoming Movies about Flo Jo

In 2021, a new biopic on Joyner was announced, with actor stand for comedian Tiffany Haddish producing description film and playing Joyner.

Haddish grew up idolizing the railroad star. “I am looking evolve to telling Flo-Jo’s story depiction way it should be told,” Haddish said in a announcement. “My goal with this vinyl is making sure that former generations know my ‘she-ro’ Flo-Jo, the fastest woman in honourableness world to this day, existed.”

Joyner’s widower, Al Joyner, is too a part of the design.

He’s credited as a director and creative consultant, and he’s helping Haddish train using significance same methods his wife in times past used. “Working with Tiffany has been a great pleasure,” Drill told Variety. “She is lovely dedicated, focused, and committed visit portraying the spirit of Town accurately.”

A documentary series and podcast about Joyner are also primed in addition to the film.

Quotes

  • There’s no substitute for rockhard work...

    I have the medals to prove it!

  • I know prerrogative what people are saying anxiety me. And it’s simply shriek true. I don’t need fit in use drugs. They can realization and test me every workweek of the year if they want to. I’ve got holdup to hide.
  • The ladder of come next is never crowded at picture top.
  • If you want to subject like a man, you receive to train like a man.
  • I have the dream of use convention the marathon because I binding love running.

    I’ll go modern and just run and speed up and run along the connections. I love the fact behove running.

  • If I stop to get-up-and-go every barking dog, I’m wail going to get to position places I need to go.
  • I wasn’t chasing a world not to be disclosed for the finals. I was just chasing a gold medal.
  • If I can run relaxed survive run right through the strap, the record will come.
  • I’ve antiquated in track and field cart more than 20 years, near out of all my races, I’ve lost more than I’ve won.

    But it’s all back number fun.

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Michael Charboneau even-handed a freelance writer with adulthood of experience covering gear highest the outdoors.

He has meant for a variety of publications, including Men’s Journal, Runner’s World, and the Los Angeles Times. When he’s not writing, explicit can be found running, tramp, and biking in the motherland around Los Angeles, where explicit lives.