Joice was British number one at 100m in 1998 and 1999 and returned to that spot in 2002. It was in 1998 that she made a breakthrough – first running 7.34seconds for the 60m to win the AAA indoor title, then setting successive personal bests at 100m (11.40secs) outdoors at the AAAs, at the European Championships (11.35secs) and the Commonwealth Games (11.32secs). She also ranked 3rd in Britain at 200m, taking 2nd at the AAAs.

In 1999 she maintained this progress with a PB of 11.24secs, to gain 3rd at the 100m in the European Cup. She then went on to win the 100m & 200m at the AAA’s, taking 0.3 off her 200m time. In 2000 Joice set personal bests indoors at both 60m (7.30secs) and 200m (23.52secs). Outdoors she was third at 100mand fourth at 200m the AAA’s, with season’s best times of 11.42secs and 23.17secs. Joice travelled to Sydney for the Olympics, but was not able to progress from the heats of the 100m with a time of 11.51secs. She qualified at the 200m in 23.36secs to the second round where she ran 23.57secs. Joice ran the first leg of the 4x100m where the team were placed 5th in the semi-final. Joice was ranked a disappointing 4th in Britain in 2001 at 100m with a best time of 11.42secs, 2nd in 200m; 23.13secs. She was Southern Champion at 200m, and was placed 3rd in the AAA’s at 100m. In 2002, despite suffering from a leg cramp at the AAA’s Indoors, Joice took 0.02 off her best ever time for 60m with 7.28secs in the heats. She then took another 0.01 of her PB with 7.27secs. Fifth place in the semi meant she just missed out on a European Indoor Final place. At the Commonwealth Trials Joice was 4th in both 100m and 200m. She came into top form at the AAAs, running 11.29secs in her heat and winning the 100m final in 11.31secs.

In Manchester, at the Commonwealth Games Joice ran a season’s best for 200m of 23.00secs in her heat, almost matching it in the final with 23.04secs for 6th place. She ran the first leg of the 4x100 relay to win Bronze with the England team. After a disappointing European Championships, she had a fine win at the GB v USA v Russia match at Glasgow.