Olympic Icon Flo Jo Raced to the Top and Took Us with Her

Florence Griffith Joyner, “Flo Jo,” set Olympic records in track and won three gold medals in 1988.

As a track star, Flo Jo ran in one-legged track suits she designed herself, and sported long, brightly painted fingernails. She died in 1998, but her style, passion and courage continues to influence culture and fashion.

Florence Griffith was born in Los Angeles, the seventh of 11 children. She learned to be fast to get what she wanted, since competition for resources was always fierce. Her mother moved the family to the LA neighborhood of Watts after separating from Florence’s father. Watts was a crucible for racial tensions between over-aggressive police and communities of grinding poverty.

After the 1965 Watts riots, Griffith took up track at the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation and immediately won races. She continued with track in college, eventually representing UCLA on a powerhouse team that included Jackie Joyner-Kersee, coached by Bob Kersee. While at UCLA, Florence met Joyner-Kersee’s brother, Al Joyner...