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Jackie Joyner-KersiFamous American athlete.
Date of Birth: 03.03.1962
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Biography
- Achievements in Track and Field
- Life after Athletics
- Awards and Recognition
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Biography
Early Life and EducationJackie Joyner-Kersee is a renowned American athlete, specializing in long jump, heptathlon, and sprinting. She demonstrated exceptional abilities in track and field from a young age, jumping 5.10 meters at the age of 13. Alongside her interest in athletics, she also played volleyball and basketball. At 14, she became the junior state champion in Illinois. In 1980, Jackie enrolled in the University of California, Los Angeles, where she competed for the university's track and field and basketball teams. In that same year, she tragically lost her mother and became the head of her family. It was at the university that she began training under Bob Kersee, who encouraged her to specialize in track and field, specifically heptathlon.
Achievements in Track and Field
Jackie qualified for the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 1983 but had an unsuccessful performance, withdrawing from the heptathlon due to injury on the first day of the competition. In 1984, she achieved her first major success by winning the silver medal in heptathlon at the Los Angeles Games, finishing just five points behind the winner.
From 1986 to 1992, Jackie experienced almost no defeats in heptathlon while also excelling in long jump. On July 7, 1986, she became the first woman to surpass the 7000-point mark in heptathlon, setting a world record of 7148 points at the Goodwill Games in Moscow. In 1988, she became the Olympic champion in heptathlon in Seoul, setting another world record of 7291 points. Just five days later, she won the Olympic gold medal in long jump (7.49 meters). Four years later, she repeated her success in heptathlon at the Barcelona Olympics, surpassing the 7000-point barrier once again with a score of 7044.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee participated in her last Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta. She won the bronze medal in long jump but was unable to complete the heptathlon due to a recurring injury. In 1996, she left the track and field and attempted to pursue a career as a basketball player for the "Richmond Rage" team, but without much success. In 1998, she returned to athletics and even won the heptathlon at the Goodwill Games with a score of 6502 points. After this victory, she announced her retirement from competitive sports. However, in 2000, she failed to make the US Olympic team for the Sydney Games, marking the end of her career.
Life after Athletics
Since 2001, Jackie has been involved in charitable activities. In her hometown of East St. Louis, she established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which supports young athletes. Jackie's older brother, El Joyner, is also a well-known athlete and Olympic champion in triple jump. In 1986, Jackie married her coach, Bob Kersee, and took his surname, becoming Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout her career, Jackie Joyner-Kersee participated in four Olympic Games and four World Championships. In 2001, she was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She was also recognized three times as the best female athlete in track and field in the United States (1986, 1987, 1994).
