JOYNER-KERSEE HEPTATHLON RECORD NAMED 9th GREATEST MOMENT

 

 
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INDIANAPOLIS - Jackie Joyner-Kersee breaking her own women's heptathlon world record at the 1988 Olympic Games was honored by USA Track & Field as the ninth greatest moment in U.S. track and field history in the last 25 years.

Joyner-Kersee entered the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul looking to break her own world heptathlon record of 7,215 points set earlier that summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.

JJK opened with a blistering 100m hurdles, finishing the race in 12.69 seconds before clearing 1.86 meters/6 feet, 1.25 inches in the high jump, throwing 15.80m/51-10 in the shot put and running the 200 meters in 22.56 seconds. Her first day total was 4,262 points, well below her 4,367 tally from her first day of trials competition at Indy.

Day 2 began brilliantly with JJK breaking the Olympic long jump record with a leap of 7.27m/23-10.25. Following a javelin throw of 45.66m/149-10, Joyner-Kersee needed to run the 800m in 2:13.67 to break the record. After running the first lap in close to 63 seconds, JJK finished the race in 2 minutes, 08.51 seconds for a new world record total of 7,291 points. Her record still stands.

Joyner-Kersee, who owns the top six heptathlon marks in the history of the event, also won the gold medal in the women's long jump in Seoul with her fifth-round Olympic record leap of 7.40m/24-3.50.

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