How has FloJo’s 100m world record remained unbroken for so long compared to men’s 100m sprint?
In: Biology
Since 1997 the International Athletics Annual of the [Association of Track and Field Statisticians](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Track_and_Field_Statisticians) has listed this performance as “probably strongly wind assisted, but recognized as a world record”.[[38]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Griffith_Joyner#cite_note-40)[[b]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Griffith_Joyner#cite_note-42)
There is at least one allegation that she was supplied HGH. The Olympics in the 80s (and I guess almost always to different degrees) were especially dirty. She had the same trainer as Carl Lewis who vehemently denied performance enhancing drugs for decades until finally coming clean, but saying everyone else was on it, so it’s fair (the lance Armstrong defense). Nowadays, they keep samples for at least a decade so that if new detection technology is developed, they will (hopefully) be able to detect the once undetectable drugs.
In my opinion, I strongly disagree with the people who say “who cares?” If you think about it, Sports are the most arbitrary endeavor there is and fairness is always debatable. You need to maintain the structure of what’s allowable and what’s not. I don’t think it’s fair that other athletes have been denied medals and holding works records because other athletes break these agreed-upon rules. Most athletes eventually come clean at some point, but we’ll never know for certain because she died in 1998. Cool track uniform though.
The wind gauge was incorrect during her world record time, which should have disqualified that specific run. She was still the fastest of the bunch on each other heat. The IAAF decided not to penalize her for the illegal tailwind, so her record stood.
It’s also speculated that she was using HGH, and her retiring the year before mandatory drug testing was instituted. One person came forward and claimed to sell her some, but it was dismissed at the time. The Olympic committee at the time claimed they singled her out and did rigorous drug testing, and failed to find anything, though the doctor who did the examination was accused of covering up failed drug tests on other occasions.
I don’t think it would be a surprise at all if Usain Bolt’s men’s record stands another 20 years (or more). No one else has ever been within even a tenth of a second (which is an eternity in the 100m) of his record.
A bad wind gage giving her tail wind that shoukd have let her win but not get the world record, and some serious steroids or Human Growth Hormone use.
The cynical answer is that it is easier to hide performance enhancing drug use in men than it is in women. Since most performance enhancers enhance stereotypically “male” traits like muscle-mass, the physiological changes are more obvious in women. This means that any woman who juiced herself enough to be faster than this would likely be disqualified because of the more obvious traces, both externally and in her blood.
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