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National
Track & Field Hall of Famer Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo-Jo)
setting the women's 200m world record in 1988 was honored by
USA Track & Field as the 19th greatest moment in
U.S track and field in the last 25 years.
After
shocking the world with her electrifying women's 100m world
record of 10.49 seconds at the 1988 Olympic Trials in
Indianapolis, Griffith Joyner entered the 1988 Olympic Games
in Seoul as a heavy favorite to win gold in the 100m and 200
meters.
After winning
the 100m gold medal in a wind-aided 10.54 seconds, Griffith
Joyner brought her full attention to the 200 meters. In the
semifinals, Flo-Jo offered a preview of what was to come in
setting a new world record of 21.56 seconds, shattering the
previous standard of 21.71 established by Marita Koch and
equaled by Heike Drechsler, both of East Germany.
A little less
than two hours later, Griffith Joyner ran in the 200m final,
her eighth race in five days. After holding a slight lead at
the halfway mark, Flo-Jo left the field behind in destroying
her own world record in the gold medal winning time of
21.34. Her 100m and 200m records still stand.
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