Florence Joyner hit the top and career ended early...

by A.C. De Silva

Great entry into Athletics... Florence Griffith Joyner made an indelible mark on the world of athletics, both through appearance and performance. She lived upto her expectations.

In a glorious 1988, she won Olympic Gold in the 100, 200 and 4 x100 metres relay but it was her amazing times more than her medals that marked her as one of the greatest sprinters in athletics history.

In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, She won the 100 metres Gold in 10.54, the nearest that anyone has come to it since was Marion Jones' 10.65. Before the 1988 season Griffith Joyner's best time was 10.96 seconds - not even in the then best 40 marks of all time.

In the 200 metres she smashed the world record not once, but twice in less than two hours enroute to Olympic Gold. Her pre-1988 best of 21.96 did not rate in the top 20 runs on the all-time list. Yet in the Olympic semi-final and final, she erased off an astonishing 0.37 seconds off the previous mark shared by East German's Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler, Florence's runs of 21.56 and 21.34 seconds demolished a record which has stood for 9 years.

Born in Los Angeles in 1959, the seventh of 11 children, Florence Griffith was fast as a teenager but financial pressure prevented her developing her talent. She was rescued by sprint coach Bob Kersee, who helped her a great deal. In her early years it was her wildly-painted six-inch fingernails and striking looks rather than her speed that got her into the headlines - despite her winning a 200 metres silver medal in the 1984 Olympics which were boycotted by the Soviet Bloc. The next two years failed to produce any major progress and it was not until later, when she married to 1984 Olympic triple jump champion Al-Joyner, that she began to dream of the big time.

She consulted Johnson for starting tips and about weight-training and also studied of videos of Carl Lewis in a bid to improve further.

The nails grew longer, and more brightly painted, she became known to all as "Flo-Jo" and brought showbiz to the previously unglamorous world of women's athletics.

The following is a brief factfile on American sprinter Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose death at the age of 38 was reported on Monday.

Name: Delorez Florence Griffith, later Griffith-Joyner after marriage to 1984 Olympic triple jump champion Al Joyner.

Born:21 December 1959. Grew up in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Watts and began running at the age of seven with Sugar Ray Robinson youth foundation.

Worked as a bank teller until she was spotted by sprint coach Bob Kersee who helped her get funding to study degree in business and psychology at UCLA.

1983- came to world attention when she placed fourth in 200 metres at world championships.

1984-silver medal in 200 metres at L.A. Olympics, running with famous six-inch painted fingernails.

1986 - went back to working in a bank and as a beautician but returned to serious training in 1987.

1987 - finished second in world championship 200 metres.

1988 - smashed the 100 metres world record in a quarter-final for the U.S. trials, clocking a time of 10.49 seconds. The next day won the final in 10.61.

In opening round of Olympic 100 metres, she set an Olympic record of 10.88 seconds. She won the final in 10.54.

She also set a world record in the 200 metres of 21.34. Both the 100 and 200 metres records still stand.

Went on to win three golds (100 metres, 200 and 4x100 relay) and one silver.

Voted U.S. Olympic Committee's sportswoman of the year.

February 25, 1989 - announced retirement.

Sept 21, 1998 - Died at home in Laguna Beach, California of an apparent heart seizure.