Joanie was part of Athletics West with AlSal and Decker-Slaney. That’s close enough for me to wonder about all of her 1980’s performances.
She ran 2:21 at a point in history when training theory wasn’t well established or shared, and at a time when testosterone was easy to come by, and after only five years of serious running. Come on, I’m not the only one thinking it.
She’s Nike through and through. So were Decker-Slaney, Marion, Lance, and AlSal. And because of the outlier nature of her performances and the team and folks she’s chosen to associate herself with, over the last 40 years, she doesn’t belong in the GOAT conversation.
Change my mind.