Question 1

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee never competed in the heptathlon at the Olympics.

Accepted Answer

False. Jackie Joyner-Kersee did compete in the Olympic heptathlon. She won gold medals in 1988 and 1992 and a silver in 1984. She also set the world record of 7,291 points in 1988, which remains unbroken.

Question 2

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee was diagnosed with asthma at age 18, but still became an Olympic champion.

Accepted Answer

True. Diagnosed as a teenager, she managed severe asthma and allergies throughout her career, winning six Olympic medals despite the condition.

Question 3

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee set the heptathlon world record at the age of 35.

Accepted Answer

False. She actually set the heptathlon world record at age 26 during the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials, not at 35.

Question 4

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee played college basketball for UCLA.

Accepted Answer

True. She was a dual-sport athlete at UCLA, playing basketball and excelling in track and field, where she won multiple NCAA heptathlon championships.

Question 5

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee once won an Olympic gold medal in the long jump.

Accepted Answer

True. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Joyner-Kersee won gold in the long jump with a leap of 7.40 meters, alongside her heptathlon gold.

Question 6

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee is also a published author of children's books.

Accepted Answer

False. Jackie Joyner-Kersee has written an autobiography and a motivational book for adults, but she has not authored any children's books.

Question 7

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the first woman ever to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon.

Accepted Answer

True. Jackie Joyner-Kersee broke the 7,000-point barrier with a world record 7,148 points in July 1986. No woman had previously exceeded 7,000.

Question 8

True or false: Jackie Joyner-Kersee's brother-in-law was baseball legend Don Mattingly.

Accepted Answer

False. No relation to Don Mattingly. Her brother was Olympic triple jumper Al Joyner, who married track star Florence Griffith Joyner.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Trivia Questions