Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Sports Illustrated name Jackie Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
American athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee throwing the javelin during the heptathlon at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
Sports Illustrated named Jackie Joyner-Kersee the "Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century" due to her exceptional achievements in the heptathlon and other track and field events. She was the first athlete to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon, setting multiple world records in the event. Joyner-Kersee also achieved Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon in consecutive Games (1988 and 1992) and won medals in the long jump. Her dominance and record-breaking performances solidified her status as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.12