One of the most beloved athletes of the late twentieth century, Olympic track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner, or more commonly "FloJo," inspired legions of young aspiring female athletes with her speed, her confidence, and her winning looks. Almost as famous for her muscular physique and her flamboyant style, particularly her six-inch-long, intricately patterned and polished fingernails, Joyner made the track and field establishment sit up and take notice, and officials and fans alike mourned her sudden death, at 38, of an apparent heart seizure.

Florence Griffith Joyner

Blazing down the track in brightly colored outfits, including her one-legged tights, Joyner was hailed as the world's fastest woman runner at the peak of her career in the mid-1980s. A phenomenal sprinter holding records in the 100-and 200-meter dashes, she also won three gold medals and two silvers at the 1988 Summer Olympics...