were Canadians generally, who disliked the idea of
their greatest player transfering to a country where
hockey was much less of a national passion than it
was for them. The Oilers’ owner, Peter Pocklington,
defended the controversial deal, saying that he could
no longer afford to keep the championship-winning
Oiler team together. Cynics said that Gretzky’s wife,
actress Janet Jones, also must have had some influ-
ence in the decision: Her acting career stood a much
better chance of success in Hollywood than it did in
Alberta. Gretzky broke down and cried as he said his
good-byes in Edmonton. By the time he reached Los
Angeles later that day for another press conference,
he was all smiles. He wrapped up the 1980’s and his
first season in Los Angeles by winning another MVP
award, even though Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux fin-
ished the season with more points. In the post-
season, Gretzky led the Kings to a stunning playoff
win over his former team.
Impact Wayne Gretzky is considered by many to be
the best ever to have played in the National Hockey
League. When he retired in 1999, he held more than
sixty regular-season, playoff, and All-Star Game rec-
ords. During the 1980’s, Gretzky dominated profes-
sional hockey, Canada’s national pastime. His trade
to Los Angeles in 1988 angered Canadians, but it
also significantly expanded the visibility and appeal
of hockey in the United States. More Americans fol-
lowed the sport, more money came into the NHL,
and several more teams joined the league, arguably
as a result of Gretzky’s skill on the ice.
Further Reading
Messier, Mark.Wayne Gretzky: The Making of the Great
One. New York: Beckett, 1998. Gretzky’s family,
friends, and opponents discuss his legacy and his
greatness.
Podnieks, Andrew.The Great One: The Life and Times
of Wayne Gretzky. New York: Triumph Books, 1999.
A comprehensive look at Gretzky and the impact
he had on his sport.
Anthony Moretti
See also Canada and the United States; Hockey;
Lemieux, Mario; Sports.
Griffith-Joyner, Florence
Identification American track-and-field athlete
Born December 21, 1959; Mojave Desert,
California
Died September 21, 1998; Mission Viejo,
California
Florence Griffith-Joyner’s performances on the track set a
new standard of excellence for women in the 100-meter and
the 200-meter dash and earned her the title of fastest woman
in the world.
Although she was invited to the Olympic trials in
1980, Delorez Florence Griffith just missed earning
a spot on the 200-meter dash team. However, in 1982
she won the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) 200-meter championship in 22.39 seconds,
running for the University of California, Los An-
geles (UCLA). A year later, she won the 400-meter
race at the same event. At the 1984 Olympic trials,
she earned membership on the U.S. Olympic team
and was dubbed “Fluorescent Flo” because of the
stylish, brightly colored bodysuits she wore.
It was at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles that
the world first came to know Griffith as a runner. She
won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash with a time
of 22.04 seconds, but she was not allowed to compete
on the U.S. relay team because of the ultra-long fin-
gernails she sported. Coaches thought that her nails
might prevent her from passing the baton smoothly.
Although she was deprived of the opportunity to win
her first gold medal as part of the relay team, her dis-
tinctive style made an impression. In 1985 and 1987,
Griffith ran the fastest times in the United States in
the 100-meter dash. After marrying 1984 Olympic
gold medalist Al Joyner in 1987, she changed her
name to Florence Griffith-Joyner and received the
nickname “Flo-Jo.” That year, she came in second in
the 200-meter dash at the World Championships in
Rome, winning a silver medal, but she also won a
gold medal there as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay
team.
It was 1988 that was to be Griffith-Joyner’s stellar
year. At the Olympic trials in Indianapolis, Indiana,
on July 16, 1988, she set a world record of 10.49 sec-
onds in the 100-meter dash. At the same event, she
set a U.S. record of 21.77 seconds in a 200-meter
heat. Later that year, at the Summer Olympics in
Seoul, South Korea, she set a new world record of
21.34 seconds in the final race of the 200-meter dashThe Eighties in America Griffith-Joyner, Florence 433