Florence Griffith Joyner Last Olympic Gold Medal & Final Games

1988 Seoul Athletes Ticket

4x100m USA Gold

4x400m USA Silver

The GDR had been the top 4×100 relay team since the late 70s, but the US had defeated them at the 1987 World Championships. And in Seoul, they were led by 100/200 championFlorence Griffith Joynerand 1984 100 gold medalist Evelyn Ashford. They had formidable speed but could not match the superior baton work of the East Germans. In the final,Alice Brownput the US into a slight lead on the opener. But the GDR and the Soviet Union pulled ahead on the second leg. Griffith Joyner was chosen to run the final turn and she got to the final exchange two metres in front. But she and Ashford botched the pass, and the US was in third starting the final 100. Ashford was opposed by her long-time East German rival,Marlies Göhr, and she ran her down for the gold medal. The Soviet anchor,Nataliya Pomoshchnikova, actually took the lead after the final exchange but cramped slightly at 60 metres and had to hold on to finish third.