‘Flo Jo’, as she became known to the world, was also one of the first athletes to embrace the fashionable side of sportswear. Long before Serena’s catsuit, there was Griffith–Joyner’s one-legged suit – like the record-breaking purple number Beyoncé chose to reproduce –, her lace leggings and metallic two-toned all-in-one. She wore bold, bright colours and refused to blend in on the track.

“Dress good to look good,” Griffith–Joyner said. “Look good to feel good. And feel good to run fast!”

2018 marks 20 years since Griffith–Joyner passed away, aged 38, from an epileptic seizure. Beyoncé’s choice to portray her now is doubly meaningful, arriving on a twin anniversary. One of the most watched-women in world made a deliberate decision to use Halloween as an occasion to raise awareness of the feats of a black athlete which – although far from forgotten – have risked slipping from recent memory. And in a year when some of the scariest elements have been a series of setbacks for racial equality, it’s a rousing call to arms. Perhaps we can make it to 2019 after all.

Images: Getty

This is why Beyoncé’s 2018 Halloween costume was so important