Los Angeles became the birthplace of many gifted women who went on to realize their potential and establish successful careers. Today we will discuss sportswoman Florence Griffith Joyner, a track and field athlete who became famous for her world records. She was also accused of doping and that all of her results were illegitimate. Find out more about the life of the athlete, who was born in Los Angeles, at losangeleska.com.
The athlete’s records
The future athlete was born in Los Angeles in 1959. She is regarded as the fastest woman in the world, and her records are impressive. Even present-day athlete-runners are taken aback by the achievements of American Florence Griffith Joyner.
Everything began with a tournament in Indianapolis. The athlete covered 100 meters in 10.5 seconds. These were incredible results.
The second world record was established in the final of the Olympic Games in Seoul. It should be mentioned that our compatriot won all three disciplines in which she competed in Seoul. She easily broke Olympic records.
Florence Griffith Joyner is known for more than just athletics
Our countryman left her mark on history not only because of her accomplishments and remarkable speed. The athlete was one of the few who began to pay attention to her appearance. She frequently astounded the audience with her outrageous look, which included 15-centimeter nails, tight jumpsuits in a variety of colors and creative designer jewelry. Florence Griffith Joyner’s appearance did not match her serious athletic performance.
After leaving sports, Griffith Joyner took up fashion design.
Being suspected of doping use. Failed attempt to return to the sport and mysterious death
Throughout her athletic career, our countrywoman was accused of doping. Especially after the unexpected results in 1988. The truth is that Florence married athlete Al Joyner, who used doping. Furthermore, Florence Griffith Joyner’s athletic abilities improved significantly, and her musculature began to develop. That is why some of her opponents claimed she utilized doping. Due to the constant doping control, the American athlete suddenly left the sport. It should be noted that Florence passed dozens of doping tests in 1988, but the results were negative. Accordingly, no one proved anything.
Following the end of her career in athletics, our fellow countrywoman began writing memoirs and was appointed to the American President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The athlete focused on the battle against doping and denied any accusation in her direction.
In 1996, Florence Griffith Joyner stated her intention to return to the world of sports. In fact, she even trained for a 400-meter run. Unfortunately, nothing came of it. Florence had a heart attack during a flight. Then, two years later, the athlete died in her sleep. The official version was respiratory arrest caused by epilepsy. However, there were two alternative versions: cardiac difficulties caused by the use of steroids and that the woman had a brain hemorrhage when landing on the plane, but she did not receive proper medical care. Consequently, the athlete passed away two years later.
This is the story of a famous athlete who was suspected of doping. However, no formal confirmation was provided. So, Florence Griffith Joyner continues to be among the world’s fastest athletes.
We hope that our information was useful to you and that you learned more about the countrywoman.
Have you ever been interested in Florence Griffith Joyner’s athletic career? Do you believe she used doping? We look forward to hearing from you on social media.