At the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Florence Griffith Joyner delivered a performance that remains the benchmark for speed in women’s track and field.  "Flo-Jo," as she was called,  finished the 100-meter quarterfinal heat in 10.49 seconds, shattering the previous world record of 10.76 seconds held by Evelyn Ashford. Decades later, that mark remains  as the fastest time ever recorded by a woman in the event.

The record-setting run was the culmination of a rigorous transition for Griffith Joyner, who was primarily  a 200-meter specialist earlier in her career. To improve her explosive power out of the blocks, she studied the technique of world-record holders and intensified her weight training. Despite weighing only 130 pounds, she reportedly reached a 320-pound squat to build the leg strength necessary for her opening burst.

Her performance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics further cemented her status in sports history. Griffith Joyner captured gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100-meter relay. In the 200-meter final, she set another world record with a time of 21.34 seconds, a mark that also remains unbroken. Beyond her speed, she became a cultural icon for her self-designed track uniforms, including her signature "one-legger" suits and long, decorative fingernails, challenging traditional expectations of athletic attire.

The 10.49-second record in Indianapolis has faced scrutiny over the years due to questions regarding the wind gauge, which read 0.0 despite gusty conditions that day. While some statisticians have debated whether the run was wind-assisted, the mark was officially recognized as the world record by the IAAF. 

Inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1995, Griffith Joyner died in 1998. Her legacy continues to influence modern athletes who cite her combination of speed and personal expression as a blueprint for the modern track star.