Florence Griffith-Joyner: The legendary sprinter died 25 years ago

Florence Griffith Joyner (†)
The diva of the tartan track died 25 years ago

Florence Griffith-Joyner, who was also called the “Diva of the Tartan Track” because of her appearance, is still the fastest woman in the world today, despite rumors of doping. The athlete died in her sleep 25 years ago. She was only 38 years old.

Her flashy outfits and long fingernails were her trademark: Florence Griffith-Joyner, †38, who was also called the “diva of the tartan track,” is still the fastest woman in the world today – despite suspicion of doping. The muscular athlete died 25 years ago. There is speculation surrounding her death.

Florence Griffith-Joyner: Tragic death of a top athlete

On the morning of September 21, 1998, she never woke up: Florence Griffith-Joyner, the legendary sprinter who held world records, had died in her sleep. Her husband and former trainer, Al Joyner, 63, found her lifeless in bed at their home in Mission Viejo, southern California. A subsequent autopsy revealed that the athlete had suffered an epileptic seizure, as a result of which she had suffocated. She had a congenital brain abnormality known as cavernous angioma, they said.

The condition causes blood to pool outside the blood vessels in the brain. Dr. Richard Fukumoto, chief of the Orange County coroner’s office, said at the time that the severe seizure caused Griffith-Joyner’s limbs to stiffen and her head may have turned to the right while she lay on her stomach. “To put it in layman’s terms: she suffocated,” said the doctor.

Florence Griffith-Joyner ran a world record

Her tragic death occurred almost exactly ten years after her legendary successes: At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Florence Griffith-Joyner, also known as “Flo-Jo”, won gold in the 100 meters and 200 meters as well as gold in the 4×100 meters -Relay and silver with the 4×400 meter relay. ZTwo months earlier, she had run the 100 meters in 10.49 seconds, setting the women’s world record – a record that has not been broken to this day.

Were anabolic steroids involved?

Due to her muscular stature, her rapid increase in performance and her prompt retirement, doping rumors soon arose. “When she broke the record, people initially said that the wind had helped her,” said her husband and trainer Al Joyner, angry about the allegations. “Then when she won the medals they said it was drugs.” Nothing could ever be proven against her.

After retiring from competitive sports in 1989, Florence Griffith-Joyner gave birth to a daughter in November 1990. She announced her comeback several times, but a minor stroke in 1996 meant that she had to seek medical treatment. She died two years later. The doping rumors meant that her death also gave rise to speculation: there was talk of a stroke or heart failure as a result of taking anabolic steroids. However, this could not be confirmed.

Even if the doping rumors may leave a negative aftertaste, her aura remains unforgettable: “What Florence brought to the racetrack was a flash and a flair that we didn’t have, which was good for the sport and got us noticed,” she said former rival Evelyn Ashford, 66, once aptly stated. Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record over 100 meters remains unbroken to this day.

Sources used: latimes.com, worldathletics.org, pschyrembel.de, olympics.com, cnn.com, own research

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