African American track athlete. Flo Jo won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Her beauty , flamboyant style --she wore super long nails and colorful one-legged outfits-- and unmatched speed made her a superstar in the 1980s. At the height of her popularity she appeared on tv shows, wrote books and had a fashion doll made in her likeness. Before her death of a heart seizure in 1998, Florence Griffith Joyner was considered the ideal American women encompassing the perfect balance of strength and beauty.