Al Joyner
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1984 Los Angeles | Triple jump | |
Alfredrick "Al" Alphonzo Joyner (born January 19, 1960)is an American former athlete, who was Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump.
Joyner was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. He was married to the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, a multiple Olympic medal-winning sprinter. His sister Jackie Joyner-Kersee is also an Olympic gold medalist. Joyner married for a second time on June 28, 2003 to Alisha Biehn.
Joyner competed in the triple jump at Arkansas State University and earned the nickname "Sweetwater".
In 1984, Joyner traveled to Los Angeles for the Summer Olympics to compete in triple jump for the U.S. Olympic track and field team. With a leap of 17.26 m (56'-7.5"), he became the first American in 80 years to win a gold medal in this event. Al was also honored with the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given every four years to the best American competitor in an Olympic field event.
On August 18, 2000 he joined the UCLA track and field staff to coach the Bruin women's jumps.
Along with his coaching activities, Joyner also directs the Flo Jo Community Empowerment Foundation and Final Kick Marketing Group. He is a member of the Arkansas State (1993), State of Illinois (1997) and State of Arkansas (1999) Sports Halls of Fame.
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