Joyner-Kersee, Jackie

Joyner-Kersee, Jackie joiˈnər-kûrˈzē [key], 1962–, American track and field athlete, b. East St. Louis, Ill. One of the world's best all-around women athletes, she won the silver medal in the heptathlon in the 1984 Summer Olympics, won the gold medal and set the world record in the event in 1988, and captured the gold again at the 1992 games. She also won a gold medal (1988) and bronze medals (1992, 1996) in the long jump.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies