Florence Griffith-Joyner was one of the most dominant track and field athletes ever. To this day, she still holds the world record for women in the 100m and 200m categories. This has made people widely consider her the fastest woman ever. Other than that, she was also known for being a fashion icon on track, breaking age-old norms of tradition. She passed away at the age of 39 in 1998.

On her 26th death anniversary on the 21st September, her daughter Mary Joyner put up an Instagram story with a photo of her mother and captioned it with, “Miss you, Mommy.” It was a heartfelt gesture from someone who lost a parent relatively early in her life. Mary has written her own path in life as a musician and is most famously known for appearing in the seventh season of America’s Got Talent. But she wasn’t the only one who paid respects to her mother.

Numerous fans on social media platforms gave the athlete the respect she deserved, as many uploaded posts paying tribute to her on her death. Many posted tweets on X discussing her everlasting impact on the sport. Despite a long time passing by since her demise, people still remember her as one of the pioneers of modern-day sport.

Flo-Jo is considered the first athlete to bring a large viewership to the sport with her high speed and philosophy of looking good while winning. She has influenced many athletes today, with Sha’Carri Richardson being the most prominent, as her fashion sense has been compared to Florence numerous times, including her long nails and hair.

Thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she returns a large fanbase to this day. Florence Griffith-Joyner’s definitely a modern-day track and field legend. Thus, social media came together to celebrate her legacy during her death anniversary.

Fans celebrate Florence Griffith-Joyner’s achievements on her death anniversary

One user said, “Three-time Olympic Track and Field Gold Medalist Florence Griffith Joyner (December 21, 1959 – September 21, 1998), who set world records in 1988 for the 100 meters (10.49 seconds) and 200 meters (21.34 seconds), which are yet to be broken.”

Florence Griffith-Joyner won three Olympic gold medals, all of which came in the 1988 Seoul edition. It was in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m. She ended up breaking the 100m and 200m world records in the process and has retained the records to this day. It has been 38 years since then, yet no one has broken her record. The athletes who came the closest to breaking her 100m record were Jamaican duo Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce with a time of 10.54 seconds and 10.60, respectively. While in the 200m, Shericka Jackson came the closest with 21.41 seconds.

Another wrote, “26 years ago today, the world lost the great Florence Griffith Joyner.” The athlete had passed away because of an epileptic seizure, causing her to suffocate. She had a brain condition which made her subject to seizures. After suffering from a major attack in 1990, she was treated frequently for them during the following years. But due to the unexpected nature of her death, the police decided to investigate it, but found nothing suspicious. 

Another user wrote, “Florence Griffith-Joyner was a legend and will remain so forever. Rip.” This comment really shows the everlasting impact Flo-Jo had on track and field. The track icon pushed the boundaries for newer athletes through her iconic fashion sense and dominance on the track.

Another user expressed the same sentiment, saying, “Celebrating the legacy of a true track and field icon, Florence Griffith-Joyner. Her legacy of speed, style, and spirit continues to inspire athletes around the world. Rest in power, Flo-Jo.” Thus, Florence Griffith-Joyner is still remembered by the track community as a legend and will remain so for the time being. While someone might break her records in the future, it would be tough for them to hold it as long as Flo-Jo has done.