Unlike Lewis, FloJo has a personality and a likeable style. Lewis is an arrogrant crybaby. He didn't get any endorsements because no one likes him.
FloJo just didn't pop up and win three gold medals and a silver in the 1988 Olympics. She missed making the 1980 team by a couple of spots. In 1984, she won the silver medal in the 200 meters and was ready to become a superstar. In 1988, she proved she was the fastest woman in the world, breaking two records.
FloJo decided to retire a couple of days ago. And I, for one, think that she retired at the right time. She's leaving the track world on top. She would have been 33 years old when the 1992 Olympics rolled around.
Look at what happened to Lewis. He won four gold medals in 1984, but at the age of 27, Lewis lost in the 200 meters in Seoul to a 22-year-old runner by the name of Joe Deloach. There is always someone to knock you off.
Many athletes don't know when to retire. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mary Decker-Slaney are two that come to mind.
But FloJo is going out like she came in: a winner.