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{{Short description|American track and field coach and former athlete}}
{{Cleanup|date=February 2007}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{MedalTop}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2021}}
{{BLP one source|date=May 2022}}
{{Sources exist|date=May 2022}}
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{{Infobox sportsperson
⚫
| name = Al Joyner
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Alfrederick A. Joyner
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|January 19, 1960}}
| birth_place = [[East St. Louis, Illinois]], U.S.
| spouse = [[Florence Griffith Joyner]]
| alma_mater = Arkansas State University
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
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{{MedalGold| [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]] | [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Triple jump]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}
{{MedalOlympics}}
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{{MedalGold| [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]] | [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's triple jump|Triple jump]]}}
}}


'''Alfrederick Joyner ''' (born January 19, 1960)<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/al-joyner-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173154/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/al-joyner-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Al Joyner}}</ref> is an American [[track and field]] coach and former athlete. He was born in [[East St. Louis, Illinois]]. He is the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the [[triple jump]]. He was also the coach and husband of the late four-time Olympic medalist [[Florence Griffith Joyner]] and is the brother of six-time Olympic medalist [[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]].
'''Alfredrick "Al" Alphonzo Joyner''', born [[January 19]], [[1960]] in [[East St. Louis]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]], is an [[Olympics|Olympic]] gold medalist in the [[triple jump]].


==Career==
Joyner was married to the late [[Florence Griffith-Joyner]], a multiple Olympic medal-winning sprinter. They had one daughter Mary Ruth. His sister [[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]] is also an Olympic gold medalist. Joyner married for a second time on June 28, 2003 to Alisha Biehn. The couple has a daughter, Skylar Rose and a son, Jayden Alfrederick.
A star athlete at [[East St. Louis Lincoln High School|Lincoln High School]] in [[East St. Louis, Illinois]], Joyner went on to attend [[Arkansas State University]]. He competed with their track and field team throughout his college career and, by the time he graduated, Joyner was a three-time NCAA All-American indoor champion, a three-time NCAA All-American and [[NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship|outdoor champion]], a four-time [[Southland Conference]] champ and had placed 8th in the triple jump at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.


⚫
In 1984 Joyner traveled to Los Angeles for the Summer Games to compete with the U.S. Olympic track and field team. With a leap of 56 feet 7.5 inches, he became the first African American in 80 years to win a gold medal in the triple jump. He was honored with the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given every four years to the best American competitor in an Olympic Field Event. That same year, he cheered his sister Jackie Joyner Kersee as she competed in the heptathlon. When she captured a silver in the event, they became the first sibling teammates in U.S. history to win medals during the same Olympics.
Joyner competed in the triple jump at [[Arkansas State University]] and earned the nickname "Sweetwater."


[[File:Al Joyner plaque MV.jpg|thumb|Al Joyner plaque at Florence Joyner Olympiad Park in [[Mission Viejo, California]]]]
⚫
In 1984, Joyner traveled to [[Los Angeles]] for the [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] to compete in [[triple jump]] for the U.S. Olympic track and field team. With a leap of 17.26 m (56'-7.5"), he became the first American in 80 years to win a gold medal in this event. Al was also honored with the [[Jim Thorpe Award]], which is given every four years to the best American competitor in an Olympic field event.
On October 10, 1987, Joyner married track athlete Florence Griffith, later known as Flo–Jo. The two met in 1980 at the Olympic trials registration. He later became his wife's coach. Griffith Joyner won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games. Their daughter, Mary Ruth, was born in 1990. Griffith-Joyner died from an epileptic seizure at the age of 38 in 1998. After his wife's death, Joyner began traveling to promote her newly published book, ''[[For Dummies|Running for Dummies]]'', and jump-start the Florence Griffith Joyner charity/scholarship fund. He also began directing the Flo Jo Community Empowerment Foundation, an organization dedicated to making dreams come true for the youth around the world. One dollar from every sale of ''Running for Dummies'' is donated to this foundation.


Joyner has been inducted into the Arkansas State University Track and Field Hall of Fame (1993), the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame (1997) and the Illinois Track and Field Hall of Fame (1999). He was hired by SportsToday.com to write columns on track and field for the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. During this time, he also coached two athletes with their sights on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field team, and was himself training to compete in the men's triple jump trials. A knee injury prevented him from participating.
On [[August 18]], [[2000]] he joined the [[UCLA]] track and field staff to coach the [[UCLA Bruins|Bruin]] women's jumps.


Joyner was on the University of California UCLA in Los Angeles' track and field staff as an assistant coach/women's jumps coach from 1999 to 2003. He was the sprint & jump coach for the 2005 USOC Paralympics team in Helsinki, which won 16 out of the 30 medals the USA team won. In 2005, he joined the USATF/ USOC coaching staff and became the full-time USOC high performance jump coach in 2007.
Along with his coaching activities, Joyner also directs the Flo Jo Community Empowerment Foundation and Final Kick Marketing Group. He is a member of the Arkansas State (1993), State of Illinois (1997) and State of Arkansas (1999) Sports Halls of Fame.

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable}}
|-
! colspan="6" | Representing {{USA}}
|-
| 1983
| [[1983 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| [[Helsinki, Finland]]
| 8th
| [[1983 World Championships in Athletics – Men's triple jump|16.76 m]]
|-
| 1984
| [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
| [[Los Angeles, United States]]
| bgcolor=gold | 1st
| [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's triple jump|17.26 m]]
|-
| 1987
| [[1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
| [[Indianapolis, United States]]
| 5th
| 16.92 m
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->


==External links==
==External links==
⚫
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926222538/http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JOYNEAL01 dataOlympics profile]
*[http://www.superiorpics.com/al_joyner/ profile]
⚫
*[http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JOYNEAL01 dataOlympics profile]
*[http://insideweddings.com/real-weddings/68/a-rush-of-emotion/ A RUSH OF EMOTION: Al Joyner & Alisha Biehn]


{{Footer Olympic Champions Triple Jump Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Triple Jump Men}}
{{Footer US NC triple jump Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Joyner, Al}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joyner, Al}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Triple jumpers]]
[[Category:American male triple jumpers]]
[[Category:American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Arkansas State Red Wolves men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:African American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from East St. Louis, Illinois]]
[[Category:Athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes of the United States]]
[[Category:American male track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:People from St. Clair County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Illinois]]

[[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
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[[de:Al Joyner]]
[[Category:People from Chula Vista, California]]
[[es:Al Joyner]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
[[fr:Al Joyner]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportspeople]]
[[ja:アル・ジョイナー]]
[[Category: American Masters Athlete that competed in Olympics]]
[[no:Al Joyner]]
he was cool

Latest revision as of 02:06, 6 May 2024

Al Joyner
Personal information
Full nameAlfrederick A. Joyner
BornJanuary 19, 1960 (1960-01-19) (age 64)
East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materArkansas State University
SpouseFlorence Griffith Joyner
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Triple jump

Alfrederick Joyner (born January 19, 1960)[1] is an American track and field coach and former athlete. He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. He is the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump. He was also the coach and husband of the late four-time Olympic medalist Florence Griffith Joyner and is the brother of six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Career[edit]

A star athlete at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, Illinois, Joyner went on to attend Arkansas State University. He competed with their track and field team throughout his college career and, by the time he graduated, Joyner was a three-time NCAA All-American indoor champion, a three-time NCAA All-American and outdoor champion, a four-time Southland Conference champ and had placed 8th in the triple jump at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

In 1984 Joyner traveled to Los Angeles for the Summer Games to compete with the U.S. Olympic track and field team. With a leap of 56 feet 7.5 inches, he became the first African American in 80 years to win a gold medal in the triple jump. He was honored with the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given every four years to the best American competitor in an Olympic Field Event. That same year, he cheered his sister Jackie Joyner Kersee as she competed in the heptathlon. When she captured a silver in the event, they became the first sibling teammates in U.S. history to win medals during the same Olympics.

Al Joyner plaque at Florence Joyner Olympiad Park in Mission Viejo, California

On October 10, 1987, Joyner married track athlete Florence Griffith, later known as Flo–Jo. The two met in 1980 at the Olympic trials registration. He later became his wife's coach. Griffith Joyner won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games. Their daughter, Mary Ruth, was born in 1990. Griffith-Joyner died from an epileptic seizure at the age of 38 in 1998. After his wife's death, Joyner began traveling to promote her newly published book, Running for Dummies, and jump-start the Florence Griffith Joyner charity/scholarship fund. He also began directing the Flo Jo Community Empowerment Foundation, an organization dedicated to making dreams come true for the youth around the world. One dollar from every sale of Running for Dummies is donated to this foundation.

Joyner has been inducted into the Arkansas State University Track and Field Hall of Fame (1993), the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame (1997) and the Illinois Track and Field Hall of Fame (1999). He was hired by SportsToday.com to write columns on track and field for the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. During this time, he also coached two athletes with their sights on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field team, and was himself training to compete in the men's triple jump trials. A knee injury prevented him from participating.

Joyner was on the University of California UCLA in Los Angeles' track and field staff as an assistant coach/women's jumps coach from 1999 to 2003. He was the sprint & jump coach for the 2005 USOC Paralympics team in Helsinki, which won 16 out of the 30 medals the USA team won. In 2005, he joined the USATF/ USOC coaching staff and became the full-time USOC high performance jump coach in 2007.

Achievements[edit]

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  United States
1983 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 8th 16.76 m
1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 1st 17.26 m
1987 World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 5th 16.92 m

References[edit]

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Al Joyner". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Joyner&oldid=1222457444"