Florence Griffith-Joyner

Florence Griffith Joyner

Florence Griffith in 1988
Personal information
Full name	Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner
Nationality	American
Born	(1959-12-21)December 21, 1959 Los Angeles, California
Died	September 21, 1998(1998-09-21) (aged 38) Mission Viejo, California
Height	170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	57 kg (126 lb)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 meters, 200 meters
Club	Tiger World Class Athletic Club West Coast Athletic Club
Retired	1988
Medal record Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1988 Seoul 100 m 1988 Seoul 200 m 1988 Seoul 4×100 m 1984 Los Angeles 200 m 1988 Seoul 4×400 m World Championships 1987 Rome 4×100 m 1987 Rome 200 m

Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner (December 21, 1959 – September 21, 1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. She is considered the fastest woman of all time based on the fact that the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m still stand and have yet to be seriously challenged. During the late 1980s she became a popular figure in international track and field because of her record-setting performances and flashy personal style. She died in her sleep as the result of an epileptic seizure in 1998 at the age of 38. She attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Griffith was born in Los Angeles, California, one of eleven children born to parents Robert and Florence Griffith. The family lived in Littlerock, California before Florence Griffith moved with her children to the Jordan Downs public housing complex located in the Watts section of Los Angeles. As a young child, Griffith would visit her father in the Mojave Desert. Her father dared Griffith to chase jackrabbits, and she was eventually fast enough to catch one.

When Griffith was in elementary school she joined Sugar Ray Robinson Organization, running in track meets on weekends. She won Jesse Owens National Youth Games two years in a row, at ages 14 and 15. Griffith ran track at Jordan High School in Los Angeles. Showing an early interest in fashion, Griffith convinced the track team to wear tights with their uniforms. As a senior in 1978, she finished sixth at the CIF California State Meet behind future teammates Alice Brown and Pam Marshall. Nevertheless, by the time Griffith graduated Jordan High School in 1978, her performances in sprinting and long jump were strong enough to set school records.