Florence g joyner biography olympics opening

Gold medal-winning African-American Olympic sprinter known as "the fastest woman alive. Began running track at age seven, eventually qualifying for the Olympics after supporting her training by working as, among other things, a waitress and a hairstylist; won a silver medal in the meter sprint at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles ; medaled at the World Outdoor Championships, taking second in the meter and running on the winning 4x relay team; returned to the Olympic arena for the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Koreain which she won three gold medals, 4x and one silver 4xbecoming the most decorated female sprinter in Olympic history ; named U.

It was not the best weather for a track-and-field meet. Given the lethargic heat of a Midwest summer, an unusual amount of excited energy filled the stadium when a tall, strikingly beautiful runner assumed her assigned position at the blocks for a preliminary heat of the women's meter dash—the first salvo in the fierce competition for a berth on the U.

Olympic team which would travel to Seoul, South Koreain two months' time. Her long, dark hair flowed freely onto her shoulders; she wore eye makeup and lipstick, had long, brightly painted nails; even more eye-catching, she wore an iridescent, emerald green body suit. But the crowd completely forgot about these outward attractions as soon as the starting gun fired, watching Florence Griffith Joyner set a new world's record in little more than ten-and-a-half seconds.

Sports reporters and commentators raced for the phones to report that "Flo-Jo" was back in the game. No one who knew Joyner was surprised at the attention, for she had been deliberately courting notice since her childhood days as one of eleven children. Her mother Florence, after whom she was named, had moved to Los Angeles from North Carolina as a young woman with hopes of becoming a model, but had settled for seamstress work before marrying Robert Griffith, an airline electronics technician.

Not long after the birth, the Griffiths moved to a small town in the Mojave Desertwhere four more children were born before Florence Griffithdeciding the desert was no place to raise a family, divorced her husband and moved back to Los Angeles and a housing project in the city's Watts section. Despite being a single mother of 11, Florence was convinced that opportunities for her youngsters were more plentiful in the city.

Then it starts crawling, then it stands up. Then it takes its first step and starts walking.

Florence g joyner biography olympics opening: Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner also known

When we moved into the housing project, I told them 'Start walking. Dee Dee ran instead. On visits to her father, who had remained in the desert, she attracted attention by chasing jackrabbits; at home in Los Angeles, she could outrun her six brothers and was entering races by the time she was seven, under the auspices of the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation.

Running, Joyner later remembered, was "just another thing to do," a legitimate way to channel the energy pent up by a decidedly strict upbringing. Her mother allowed no television during the week and made sure lights were out by ten at night. She taught her daughter crocheting, knitting, and hairstyling. Once a week, she conducted a Bible study class with her children, during which they were required to reveal what they'd done wrong since the last such meeting.

Dee Dee would admit many years later that her independent spirit and discipline came from her mother. When she was 14, Florence who had by now abandoned her childhood nickname was named the top athlete at the Jessie Owens National Youth Games in Los Angeles, winning a trip to San Francisco ; by the time she graduated from Jordan High School inshe had broken several records for sprinting and for the long jump.

Even so, running remained a part-time activity when Joyner enrolled the next year at California State University in Northridge CSUNmajoring in business administration. When money ran out after her first year, she was forced to leave school and take a job as a bank teller; but if Florence did not see her future in running, one of her acquaintances at CSUN did.

Bob Kersee, the school's track coach at the time, quickly recognized Joyner's talent and helped her find financial aid, allowing her to return to school, where he advised her to concentrate on the meter dash. Bolstered by Bob Kersee's coaching, Florence entered the trials for the Olympics, to be held in Moscow, but missed qualifying for the team by a few hundredths of a second, trailing Valerie Brisco-Hookswho was also from Watts and whom she had known since childhood.

Florence's disappointment may have been tempered somewhat when the United States joined several Western nations in boycotting that. Now setting her sights on the Games to be held in Los Angeles, Florence began training in earnest with Bob Kersee, becoming an active member of his World Class Track Club and meeting two other athletes who would figure as prominently in her life as Bob Kersee himself— Jackie Joyner Kerseewho was in training for the heptathlon to be offered for the first time at the '84 Games, and her brother Al Joyner, who was also intent on competing in the triple jump.

Under Bob Kersee's rigorous eye, Florence's remarkable athletic gifts blossomed. Returning to the championships the next year, she won the meter and placed second in the meter. By earlyBob Kersee felt she was ready for Olympic competition and was proved right when Florence qualified for the meter dash. During this time, Flo Jo trained with both Kersee and her husband, Al.

At the U. Shortly afterward, she dropped Kersee and selected her husband to be her full-time coach. At the Summer Olympics, held in Seoul, South Korea, she took home gold medals in the 4-by meter relay and the and meter runs as well as a silver medal in the 4-by meter relay.

Florence g joyner biography olympics opening: At the Olympics in

She also set a world record for the meter run with a time of Joyner also won the Sullivan Award for best amateur athlete. Throughout her athletic career, Flo Jo was known for her strong sense of style. Even as a child, she displayed great creativity and a bold fashion sense. She became known for wearing unitards with bold colors, like turquoise, purple, and yellow, and unique design elements, like hoods or fabric covering only one leg.

She also upended convention by competing while wearing jewelry, sporting long, brightly painted fingernails, and leaving her hair down.

Florence g joyner biography olympics opening: Griffith Joyner participated in the U.S.

After the Olympics, Joyner retired from competition. Joyner and her coach, Bob Kersee, came under media speculation when another athlete suggested that Joyner had used performance-enhancing drugs. Some attributed the substantial improvements Joyner made in her performance levels from to to illegal substances. Others thought that her incredibly muscular physique had to have been created with the help of performance-enhancing drugs.

Joyner always insisted that she never used performance enhancers, and she never failed a drug test. In fact, according to CNN. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia. Griffith-Joyner, Delorez Florence gale.

Florence g joyner biography olympics opening: Griffith Joyner achieved a stunning breakthrough

Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. More From encyclopedia. Griffith, Yolanda —. Griffith, William. Griffith, Thomas Ian ? Griffith, Thomas Gwynfor. Griffith, Thomas Griffith, Richard John. Griffith, Phyllis c. Griffith, Patrick Raymond. Griffith, Patrick A. Griffith, Nicola Griffith, Nanci —. Griffith, Melanie.

Griffith, Mary. Griffith, Kristin —. Griffith, John. Her records in the meter and meter races from still stand, and she remains one of the most iconic and influential figures in track and field history. Contact About Privacy. Tomas Walsh. Samuel Wanjiru. Sanya Richards. Derek Redmond.