As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw ever closer, some fans have been reminiscing about the sporting event’s biggest moments.
Florence Griffith Joyner, lovingly nicknamed ‘Flo-Jo’, was one such figure who captured the world’s attention during her illustrious Olympic run as a track and field athlete. Flo-Jo became renowned for both her eclectic style — often sporting long painted nails and colorful one-legged running suits — and her athletic prowess.
Flo-Jo made her Olympic debut at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, winning the 200m silver medal, and went on to make history at the US Olympic Trials in 1988. Here, Flo-Jo landed the three fastest times ever recorded for a woman in the 100m, and would go on to win three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Flo-Jo’s history-making athleticism led to a period of worldwide mourning in 1998 when she tragically passed away at the age of 38.
Florence Joyner’s cause of death
Shortly after her passing on September 21, 1998, coroners confirmed that Florence Joyner had died of suffocation in her sleep after suffering an epileptic fit. Joyner was found dead at her home in Mission Viejo, California, and her passing led to a media frenzy and growing speculation that her death might’ve been a side-effect of taking performance enhancing drugs, given the world recording-breaking status of her career.
These rumors, however, were squashed by autopsy reports, which revealed that Joyner had suffered from a congenital brain abnormality known as cavernous angioma, a brain defect that appears at birth. It was this condition which caused a seizure in her sleep and led to her limbs freezing, after which she suffocated as pillows and blankets restricted her breathing.
At the time of her death, coroners quickly dispelled questions about performance-enhancing drugs, saying the condition had never been associated in medical research with steroids or any other drugs. After seeing the autopsy report, Primo Nebiolo — the President of the World Athletics governing body — said the results allowed Joyner’s family to put her to rest peacefully, and criticized the media for “reports that have sought to tarnish her reputation – without any real proof.”
Joyner is buried at the El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest, California, and her former coach Bob Kersee was among those to pay tribute. More recently, Beyoncé paid homage to Joyner by channelling her for a Halloween costume in 2018.
Today, Joyner remains one of the most decorated and celebrated Olympic athletes, known for revolutionizing track and field. Now, more than 35 years on from her victories at the summer games in South Korea, Joyner still holds the world records for the 100 and 200 m sprints — though she might just be overtaken at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
