Florence Griffith Joyner's 200m gold medal-winning race at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, is legendary in track and field history. Known for her distinctive style and speed, Griffith Joyner, often referred to simply as “Flo Jo”, dominated the competition in both the 100m and 200m events during those games.
Griffith Joyner entered the 200m final as the World Record holder in both the 100m and 200m. In the 200m semifinal, she set the world record with a time of 21.56 seconds. As the broadcast prepared for the starting gun, the camera panned to her husband and coach, Al Joyner, who had helped prepare her for the Games and looked on with hopeful intent. When she exploded out of the blocks in the final, it was clear by the first turn that she had a chance to improve upon it. As she accelerated in Lane 5, she had closed the gap of the staggered start and continued to gain speed down the home stretch. When she blew through the finish line for Olympic Gold the clocks showed that she had obliterated her previous record by 0.22 seconds with a time of 21.34 seconds
Griffith Joyner's record in the 200m at the 1988 Olympics remains unbroken to this day, a testament to her unparalleled speed and athleticism. Her performance not only made headlines across the world for her dominance and grace, but also left an indelible mark on the history of the Olympic Games and women's track and field.
