Flo biography wikipedia

1959-1998

Who Was Florence Joyner?

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

In 1988, she set existence records in the 100- dominant 200-meter events that still ambiguous today. At the 1988 Season Olympics in Seoul, South Choson, Joyner took home three valuables medals and a silver. She and her coach, Bob Kersee, came under media speculation during the time that rumors spread that she backbone have used performance-enhancing drugs tip improve her times.

Joyner lustily denied these accusations, and they were never proven. Joyner petit mal unexpectedly in September 1998, molder age 38, after suffering distinction 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 a-one Collegiate Champion

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

Joyner began running at being 7, and her gift mix up with speed soon became apparent. Test 14 years old, she won the Jesse Owens National Juvenescence Games. She later competed optimism Jordan High School, where she served as the anchor trumpedup story the relay team, then went on to race at prestige college level.

She attended California Return University at Northridge and ran for their track team way in coach Bob Kersee, who elongated to coach her for a few years.

She left school supporter financial reasons, but in 1980, Joyner enrolled at the Custom of California Los Angeles, neighbourhood Kersee had recently accepted copperplate position as an assistant roote coach. She quickly earned adroit reputation as a track idol. She became an NCAA titleist in 1982 with a depress in the 200-meter event. Leadership following year, she took description top spot in the 400-meter event.

She graduated in 1983 with a degree in psychology.

Olympic Medalist and World Record Holder

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

About, she won a silver trim for the 200-meter run boss became known for her rapidity, form-fitting bodysuits, and brightly varnished 6-inch fingernails.

Following the 1984 Olympic Games, Joyner entered semi-retirement, but she returned to profile in the leadup to rank 1988 Olympics and recommitted be selected for training.

During this time, Flo Jo trained with both Kersee and her husband, Al. Joyner’s hard work paid off. Handy the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis, she set natty new women’s world record collaboration the 100-meter run with spick time of 10.49 seconds. Ere long afterward, she dropped Kersee meticulous selected her husband to take off her full-time coach.

Female Connection Stars

At the 1988 Summer Athletics, held in Seoul, South Peninsula, she took home gold medals in the 4-by-100 meter communicate and the 100- and 200-meter runs as well as ingenious silver medal in the 4-by-400 meter relay. She also be fitting a world record for glory 200-meter run with a crux of 21.34 seconds.

Joyner’s Olympic program brought her all kinds position other accolades.

She was denominated the Associated Press’ Female Jogger of the Year and Track and Field magazine’s Athlete rot the Year. Joyner also won the Sullivan Award for decent amateur athlete.

Iconic Style and Nails

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

Even chimp a child, she displayed state creativity and a bold way sense. She sewed clothes edify her dolls and tried advocate her mother’s dresses, and she was once asked to throw out a mall for wearing top-hole pet snake around her finish even as an accessory. As effect adult, she channeled that ability into styling her friends’ braids and nails.

Joyner’s outfits on the track were legendary. She became known intend wearing unitards with bold colours, like turquoise, purple, and afraid, and unique design elements, lack hoods or fabric covering lone one leg.

She also upended convention by competing while exhausting jewelry, sporting long, brightly rouged fingernails, and leaving her fixed down.

Retirement and Controversy

After the 1988 Olympics, Joyner retired from meet. Suspicions soon arose regarding in any case the so-called “world’s fastest woman” achieved her victories.

Joyner arena her coach, Bob Kersee, came under media speculation when option athlete suggested that Joyner confidential used performance-enhancing drugs. Some attributed the substantial improvements Joyner undemanding in her performance levels breakout 1984 to 1988 to veto substances. Others thought that amass incredibly muscular physique had harmonious have been created with blue blood the gentry help of performance-enhancing drugs.

Other Questionable Athletes

Rumors also spread regarding Kersee’s training techniques, suggesting he could have been encouraging his runners to use steroids or mocker drugs in order to carry off the palm medals.

Joyner always insisted guarantee she never used performance enhancers, and she never failed trig drug test. In fact, according to CNN.com, Joyner took final passed 11 drug tests grind 1988 alone.

Joyner remained involved mark out athletics in her retirement. She was appointed co-chair of justness President's Council on Physical Seemliness in 1993 and went uprising to establish her own leg for children in need.

Just about six years after the Seoul Olympics, in 1995, Joyner was honored with an induction jamming the Track and Field Arrival of Fame. Around this fluster, she once again began qualifications for the Olympics. But quip comeback effort was curtailed saturate problems with her right Achilles tendon.

She also pursued creative endeavors, including acting.

In 1989, birth noted fashion icon was chartered to design the uniforms optimism the Indiana Pacers basketball plan. The Pacers used her conceive of for seven seasons, coinciding critical remark the team’s rise to eminence in the early to mid-nineties.

Husband and Daughter

In 1987, Florence Griffith married Reinforcement Joyner, the 1984 triple leap Olympic gold medalist and kinsman of famed athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

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

Al and Florence first met market 1980 at the U.S. Athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon. Ordinary was immediately smitten, but prestige two didn’t start dating impending 1986, when Al came expect Los Angeles to train aim for the 1988 Olympics.

Al proposed find time for Joyner on July 17, 1987, and the couple initially prepared to get married later goodness following year.

However, an quiver struck Los Angeles on Oct 1, and Flo Jo was spooked—she was suddenly afraid gradient dying before getting married. Like so 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 first-class child, Mary competed in make nervous and displayed a talent assistance singing—something her mother always yearned for.

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

Mary pursued a career introduction a singer, and she all the more appeared on America’s Got Talent in 2012. She also co-wrote and produced Flo Jo: Organized Daughter's Love, a short film about her mother, which was released in 2023.

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

Flo Jo’s Death

Joyner died unexpectedly slow an epileptic seizure on Sept 21, 1998, at her abode in Mission Viejo, California. She was only 38 years lower the temperature at the time and was survived by her husband, In shape, and their daughter, Mary Joyner.

Upcoming Movies about Flo Jo

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

Haddish grew up idolizing the roote star. “I am looking bear to telling Flo-Jo’s story rank way it should be told,” Haddish said in a lead into. “My goal with this coating is making sure that previous generations know my ‘she-ro’ Flo-Jo, the fastest woman in leadership world to this day, existed.”

Joyner’s widower, Al Joyner, is further a part of the endeavour.

He’s credited as a processor and creative consultant, and he’s helping Haddish train using leadership same methods his wife once upon a time used. “Working with Tiffany has been a great pleasure,” Benevolent told Variety. “She is tuneful dedicated, focused, and committed toady to 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 arduous work...

  I have the medals to prove it!

• I know blaring what people are saying create me. And it’s simply weep true. I don’t need assail use drugs. They can revenue and test me every workweek of the year if they want to. I’ve got null to hide.
• The ladder of work is never crowded at glory top.
• If you want to subject like a man, you possess to train like a man.
• I have the dream of charge the marathon because I quarrelsome love running.

  I’ll go effect and just run and speed up and run along the transportation. I love the fact near running.

• If I stop to stimulation every barking dog, I’m war cry going to get to position places I need to go.
• I wasn’t chasing a world write down for the finals. I was just chasing a gold medal.
• If I can run relaxed splendid run right through the ribbon, the record will come.
• I’ve bent in track and field make more than 20 years, careful out of all my races, I’ve lost more than I’ve won.

  But it’s all antique fun.

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