Today in Performance Sneaker History: Jackie Joyner-Kersee Wins 2nd Consecutive Heptathlon Olympic Gold in adidas Spikes

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Named as Sports Illustrated for Women's Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century, track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee is one of the most decorated Olympians of all time. Joyner-Kersee excelled at both the women's heptathlon and long jump, earning three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in the events over the course of four Olympic games.

August 2 has been an especially memorable day for Joyner-Kersee, as she's had heptathlon success on this day in both 1986 and 1992. First, in the at the 1986 US Olympic Festival in Houston, she broke her own heptathlon record by scoring 7,161 points in the event. Just weeks earlier in the '86 Goodwill Games, Joyner-Kersee became the first woman to score over 7,000 points by posting 7,148 as the won the event.

But that's not all. On August 2, 1992, at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Joyner-Kersee won the gold medal for the heptathlon for the second consecutive time, repeating her '88 win in Seoul. This would be the final gold of JKK's career, and she currently holds the all-time world record amongst heptathlon performers with 7,291 points.

To grab the gold, Joyner-Kersee wore a pair of '90s adidas track spikes in a white-and-green makeup. This decades-old model has since become a relic, but you can shop adidas' current track selections here.

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