Joetta Clark Diggs (born Joetta Clark in East Orange, New Jersey, August 1, 1962) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the 800 metres. She is the daughter of Joe Louis Clark, the older sister of Hazel Clark Riley and the sister-in-law of Jearl Miles-Clark, who married Joe Clark, Jr., who is the coach to all three girls. Joetta is a four-time Olympian in the 800 metres,[1] and made six trips to the finals of the Olympic Trials over a span of 20 years. The three Clarks swept the 2000 Olympic Trials race with Joetta eeking out the final place by .01 seconds at the age of 37.[2] She was elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2009.[3]
Joetta graduated in 1980 from Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey where she won the USA Junior Championship[4] and made the Olympic Trials as a high schooler. Her 2:04.5 from that year was the NFHS National high school record for 28 years.[5] She then went to the University of Tennessee, where she won the 1982 AIAW 1,000 yard Indoor Championship (in Tennessee's last year of participation in the AIAW) and the 880 yards at the first two NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships in 1983 and 1984. She repeated at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships winning the 800 metres in 1983 and 1984. She had a great deal of success indoors, winning 7 titles at the Millrose Games, 7 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and two World Championship bronze medals in 1993 and 1997. Outdoors she won 5 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships including the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials.[3]