Al Joyner

Al Joyner was a triple jumper who surprised the world by winning the 1984 Olympic gold medal. He had placed eighth at the 1983 World Championships, but upset [Willie Banks] at the Olympic Trials and came through in Los Angeles later in the summer. Prior to that year, he was best known as the brother of multi-athlete [Jackie Joyner-Kersee].

Al Joyner competed in college at Arkansas State University, where he placed second in the NCAA Meet in 1983 in the triple jump, and was a four-time Southland Conference Champion. In 1987 he married sprint star [Florence Griffth], who went on to star at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and began coaching her.

After his own athletics career ended Joyner became a full-time coach, serving as an assistant at UCLA, and later starting his own athletics performance coaching group, where athletes from other sports came to learn speed training. In 2007 he also became the USOC high performance jump coach. Joyner is a member of the Arkansas State University Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Illinois Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Personal Best: TJ – 17.53 (1987).