"When I see Richardson and Elaine Thompson, they remind me of my late wife": When AI Joyner spoke of potential athletes to break Flo-Jo's records

In 2021, late athlete Florence Griffith Joyner's husband Alfrederick Joyner spoke about the athletes who possess the potential of breaking the long-standing records of his late wife.

Till date, Flo-Jo’s 200m Olympic record and 100m world record stand as the longest-reigning sprinting records in track and field history. Remembering his wife’s athletic prowess, AI Joyner tried to compare her with some of the most renowned athletes of present times.

Flo-Jo, also known as the fastest female in history, set unbeatable records at the 1988 Olympics and World Championships. In the 100m event, she clocked an impressive 10.49s, setting a world record.

She holds a world and Olympic record of 21.34s in the 200m. As none of the female athletes have come close to these time frames, Flo-Jo’s records have proven to be absolutely unbeatable over the years.

However, only one of the late athlete’s records has been broken till date. During the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Flo-Jo set a record of 10.62s in the 100m event. The record stood unbeatable until the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Interestingly, AI Joyner predicted the record being broken days before the big event.

Florence Griffith-Joyner's medals from the 1988 Olympics

While talking about the 100m Olympic record of the late athlete, AI Joyner shared this view with 16 KMTR:

"When I see Richardson and Elaine Thompson, they remind me of my late wife," he said.

He further added:

"They're going to get close to (the record) because they're seeing it is attainable."

Days later, at the 100m race in the 2021 Olympics, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah defeated Flo-Jo’s record by clocking an impressive 10.61s. She broke the 33-year-old record by just 1 second.

Furthermore, AI Joyner also mentioned the athlete whom he sees breaking his late wife’s 200m record. He named Gabby Thomas. Having witnessed her becoming the second-fastest woman in the history of the Olympics after she clocked 21.61 at the 2021 Olympics Trials, he was impressed.

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Florence Griffith Joyner’s aka Flo-Jo's early life

Florence Griffith Joyner at XXIV Summer Olympic Games

Born on 21 December 1959, Florence Griffith Joyner was the seventh of 11 children born to her parents. From a young age, the athlete took a keen interest in fashion due to her mother and in sports due to her brothers. According to an article by Because Of Them We Can, the late athlete once told reporters:

“My brothers…they made me very competitive because they would knock me down and I couldn’t cry… If I cried, I wasn’t allowed to continue to play with them, so they helped me as far as my competitive edge is concerned. And in the world of fashion, because they didn’t want me to look like a boy and be out there playing.”

Moreover, in her childhood, she would play basketball, volleyball, football, and running, being a member of the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation.

However, when she was in high school, the athlete won the Jesse Owens National Youth Games two years in a row, setting school records in sprints and the long jump. From here on, her journey to become the greatest sprinter of all time began.