Florence Griffith Joyner was the fastest woman in the world

SAMPATH BANDARA

Florence Griffith Joyner ran like the wind and was the fastest woman in the world.

She held the Olympic and world records in the 100 and 200 metres events.

On July 16, 1998, in the US Olympic Trials at Indianapolis (USA) she clocked 10.49 seconds in the 100 metres and in the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea (1988) she finished the 200 metres event in 21.34 seconds. Griffith Joyner’s world records have yet to be broken. She was one of the brightest stars in the history of athletics.

Florence Griffith was born on December 21, 1959 in Los Angeles. She began her athletic career when she was seven years old having set school records in sprinting and the long jump at Jordan High School, Los Angeles.

In the 1984 Olympics, in her home town of Los Angeles, she won a silver medal in the 200 metres event and also bagged the 200 metres silver medal in the 1987 world championships. Florence Griffith married triple jump Olympic champion Al Joyner in 1984 and she changed her name to Florence Griffith Joyner. Joyner was the brother of track star Jackie Joyner Kersee who was the wife of her coach.

In 1988 she set the 100 metres world mark of 10.49 seconds at the quarter-finals of the Olympic trials and since then, no woman has ever broken it. She clinched four medals - 100 metres - gold, 200 metres - gold, 4 x 100 metres - gold and 4 x 400 metres - silver at the Seoul Olympics and was nicknamed ‘Flo Jo’. She was famous for her multi-coloured fingernails and designer running shoes and was also interested in fashion design. She was also a children’s book writer, a model and an actress.

She retired at the age of 29 and died of a sudden heart attack in 1998. She was 38 when she passed away.

Florence Griffith Joyner was a track and field star par excellence.