Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Widely regarded as the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee was born on 3 March 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois, into a poor family, and was named after First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on the belief that she would one day become "first lady" of some important field. She discovered running at nine through a community track programme, and was inspired to pursue the Olympics after watching sprinter Evelyn Ashford compete at the 1976 Montreal Games. Joyner-Kersee starred in basketball, volleyball, and track at East St. Louis Lincoln Senior High School, and earned an athletic scholarship to UCLA, where she also played basketball, before marrying her coach, Bob Kersee, and developing into one of the greatest multi-event athletes in history. Joyner-Kersee won three Olympic gold medals across four Games, and has held the world heptathlon record since 1988, a mark that remains unbroken decades later, alongside four World Championship gold medals in both the heptathlon and long jump. Joyner-Kersee was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, and has continued extensive philanthropic work supporting children and families in her hometown of East St. Louis, crediting her high school coach, Nino Fennoy, with helping preserve the girls' track programme that launched her career.

Exceptional speed and jumping ability across multiple disciplines

Considered greatest female multi-event athlete in history

• 1988,1992 Olympic gold heptathlon
• 1988 Olympic gold long jump
• heptathlon WR
• 2x World champ