Happy Birthday: Florence Griffith-Joyner (1959-1998)

My favorite female athlete of all times is Florence Griffith-Joyner ... or Flo-Jo. Flo-Jo was born in Los Angeles on this date in 1959.

She was a dominant track star in the 1980s. In fact, the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea is forever imprinted in my mind as the Games of Flo-Jo. In the 1988 Seoul Games, she won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and in the 400-meter relay. For these accomplishments, she received the Jesse Owens Award, given to the year's top track and field athlete, and the Sullivan Award, given to the year's most outstanding amateur athlete.

Only us villagers from a certain generation can remember her flashy one-legged uniforms as well as her long and extravagantly painted fingernails. Check out this video to gain an appreciation of this powerful female athlete:



Flo-Jo retired from track in 1989 to devote more time to endorsement activities, modeling, writing, and coaching her husband. President Bill Clinton appointed Griffith-Joyner co-chairperson of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1993.

Some, like Marion Jones, tried to emulate her without success. Florence Griffith-Joyner died of an apparent heart seizure in 1998.

Do you remember Flo-Jo? What female athlete do you think can challenge her as the greatest of all times?

Marion Jones was Good, But She Wasn't Flo-Jo

Jan 11 Update - Marion Jones sentenced to six months in prison!

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If I had to name my all-time favorite Olympics athletes it is likely that Marion Jones would be high on the list. The #1 slot is reserved for Flo-Jo. Y'all young villagers don't know about Flo-Jo ... suffice to say that she is the most powerful and gorgeous athlete that I've ever seen in my life. Flo-Jo set 100m world record and 200m world record back in the day.

But I digress...

As a freshman in college Marion Jones wore #23 and took her North Carolina team to the NCAA championship. She was America's darling at the 2000 Olympics. At one point we thought she might win 5 gold medals. Marion Jones made some poor choices in men. She went with a big shot-put brother who eventually disgraced himself with steroids. Later she was coached by a guy that is currently on trial for doping. Earlier this year we learned that Marion had to sell her mama's house to pay the bills ... this millionaire had only $2,000 to her name at the time.

Today we learn that Marion wrote a letter to close family and friends, apologized to them and admitted using steroids before the 2000 Olympics. In the letter, Jones said that she took "the clear" for two years, beginning in 1999. "The clear" is a performance-enhancing drug linked to BALCO, the lab at the center of a federal steroids investigation. Until now, Jones has denied she ever took performance-enhancing drugs.

"I want to apologize for all of this," Jones wrote. "I am sorry for disappointing you all in so many ways."

In the letter Jones also said she planned to plead guilty in New York to two counts of lying to federal agents about her drug use and an unrelated financial matter. It is a sad day for people that supported Marion Jones during her career.

But, at least we still have Flo-Jo!