Joetta Clark Diggs (née Clark, born August 1, 1962, in East Orange, New Jersey) is a retired American track and field champion, specializing in middle distance running. She ran for more than 28 consecutive years never missing an indoor or outdoor season, with her races being in the 800 meters and 1500 meters. A 4-time Olympian in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000,[1] she competed in every outdoor USA Championships or Olympic trials between 1979 and 2000, winning five outdoor championships.[2] Indoors, she was in the national championship race in 18 of the last 19 years, winning seven times.[2] Clark Diggs was ranked in the top 10 in the world since 1991. Moreover, in 1998 at age 36, she was ranked number four in the world. This was her best ranking out of six such appearances.[3]
Coached by Terry Crawford at the University of Tennessee, Clark Diggs left Knoxville with nine collegiate titles (including relays) and a degree in public relations.
Clark Diggs was coached by her brother, J.J. Clark, who is the former women's coach at the University of Tennessee. J.J. also coached two other 800m runners: his wife, Jearl Miles Clark, and his younger sister, Hazel Clark. Hazel, Jearl and Joetta were all ranked #1 in America at one point in time. This Clark Team is known as the First Family of Track & Field because of their 800m dominance. At the 2000 Olympic Trials the family pulled off a remarkable sweep of the three Olympic qualifying positions with Hazel winning, Jearl second and Joetta making her final Olympic team at age 38 in third. She was the second oldest female Olympic track team member that year and the fifth oldest of all time.[4] She was the team captain in 2000.[5][6] She is the oldest ever to qualify in a track running event.
Later she added a graduate degree in recreation administration. Like her father, educator Joe Louis Clark did, she now works the lecture circuit.
^"Joetta Clark-Diggs". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^ ab"USA Track & Field – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". usatf.org. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^"T&FN: Youngest & Oldest U.S. Olympians". trackandfieldnews.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^Duffy, Bob (September 23, 2000). "HALF TIME FOR CLARK FAMILY IN THESE GAMES, THE 800 METERS IS THEIR SHOW". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
^Berkowitz, Bonnie (June 24, 2000). "Clark Family Sweeps to Sydney; Clark-Diggs Edges Silver Spring's Rainey Valmon for 3rd". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
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