Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century
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Meet Jackie
Having been named by Sports Illustrated as the ‘Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century’, Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s athletic credentials are unquestionably among the best ever, in all of sport. A six time Olympic medalist, including three Olympic gold medals, Joyner-Kersee dominated the Olympic heptathlon and long jump events throughout her career which spanned four Olympic Games. Astonishingly, despite the advancements in technology and training used by athletes around the world over the last two decades, Jackie Joyner-Kersee still holds the World Heptathlon Record she set over 20 years ago at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret."
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, winner of six Olympic Medals, is considered by ESPN to be one of the 50 Great Athletes of All Time, and was voted Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She is the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon, the first African American woman to win an Olympic Medal in the long jump, and the first woman to score 7,000 points in the heptathlon.
Point Heptathlon World Record
Olympic Medals
World Champion
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
In addition to her remarkable accomplishments on the field of competition, Joyner-Kersee has defined her post-athletic career as a philanthropist, a dynamic public speaker, and a tireless advocate for children’s education, health issue, racial equality, social reform and women’s rights. In 1988, Joyner-Kersee established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation as the vehicle through which she provides youth, adults and families with the resources to improve their quality of life.
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