Sprinter

Florence Griffith Joyner

American sprinter (Flo-Jo), 100 m and 200 m world record holder since 1988

All evidence

3 records, newest first. Strength changes with age and weight class, so check the date and context before you compare.

1. 1988

   • 200 m21.34 s

     CompetitionOlympic final, age 281988 Seoul Olympic Games, 200 m final

     “broke this record by 0.22 seconds in winning the final with a time of 21.34 seconds.”

     Florence Griffith Joyner - WikipediaOfficial result1988-09-29

     World record. Source page is Wikipedia; the infobox lists 200 m: 21.34 WR.

   • 100 m10.49 s

     CompetitionUS Olympic Trials, age 281988 US Olympic Trials, Indianapolis

     “many in the press corps laughed in disbelief when Joyner's 10.49-second time was displayed.”

     High drama at US Olympic trials (Christian Science Monitor)Official result1988-07-16

     Still the world record. Its wind reading has long been disputed; the record stands officially.

   • Squat325 lb

     Max or PRWeeks before her 100 m world record, age 28

     “She can now squat-lift 325 pounds, which gives her the leg strength to really explode out of the starting blocks.”

     High drama at US Olympic trials (Christian Science Monitor)News report1988-07medium confidence

     Reported by Ross Atkin, 20 Jul 1988, after a year of weight training set by coach Bobby Kersee. The article says squat-lift; squat type and reps are not stated.