Memorable female Olympic athletes  

A look at inspiring women throughout Olympic history who helped pave the way for female athletes.

Throughout the 20th century, many people fought and succeeded in being seen as equal no matter their gender, orientation, race or religion. The Paris 1900 Summer Olympics allowed women to compete for the first time. The games saw 22 women compete in five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf.  

Being an athlete was not the only milestone that women achieved during the 1900 Games. Winning an Olympic medal was another one. Helen de Portals, a Swiss-American countess, was the first woman to compete in the Olympics and also became the first woman to take home a medal when her crew won a silver medal in sailing.  

De Portales was not the only woman to win a medal during the 1900 Games. Charlotte Cooper, a British tennis player, became the first female in Olympic history to win individually. Margaret Abbott became the first female American to win gold in golfing.  

Many more women went on to break records at the Olympic Games thereafter. They proved that gender should not stop someone from achieving greatness. With that in mind, here are six memorable female Olympic athletes.: 

Alice Coachman 

Before the London 1948 Summer Olympics, a Black female athlete had never won an Olympic medal. Alice Coachman would change that during the 1948 Games. Representing the United States in the track and field sector, Coachman was a high jump athlete who became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She was also the only American woman to win a gold medal during the 1948 Games.  

Victoria Manalo Draves 

Alice Coachman was not the only female athlete of colour to make history during the London 1948 Summer Olympics. Competitive diver Victoria Manalo Draves became the first Asian American to become an Olympic gold champion at the 1948 Games. Along with being the first Asian American to win gold at the Olympics, Manalo Draves was also the first woman to take home two gold medals in the 3-metre springboard and the 10-metre platform.  

Wilma Rudolph 

Wilma Rudolph proved one can overcome a major setback and make a major comeback. Diagnosed with polio at the age of five, Rudolph was told she would never be able to walk again. That news did not prevent Rudolph from getting involved in sports.

Winning bronze in the 4×100 relay in the Melbourne/Stockholm 1956 Summer Olympics, Rudolph also competed in the Rome 1960 Summer Olympics and was determined to win a gold medal. Rudolph won not just one, but three gold medals during the 1960 Games, becoming the first American woman to do so. Her performance earned her the title of “fastest woman in the world.”  

Nadia Comaneci 

It was not until the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics that an athlete would be awarded a perfect score in the Olympic artistic gymnastics sector. Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci broke that record with her uneven bars routine, which was deemed close to perfection. Judges awarded her the perfect 10. Comaneci’s performance made her a living legend. She would continue to repeat her perfect score performance five more times throughout the Games and win three Olympic gold medals.  

Joan Benoit Samuelson 

Joan Benoit Samuelson is another Olympic athlete who overcame a setback. The Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics was the first time the women’s marathon appeared in the Olympic programme. Before she was lined up for the U.S. Olympic trials, Benoit Samuelson underwent knee surgery 17 days prior. During the 1984 Games, Benoit Samuelson achieved a symbolic victory in the marathon race, running 33 km of the 42.195 km race. Her victory led to her becoming the first female Olympic marathon champion.  

Simone Biles 

Another Olympic legend was born during the Rio 2016 Summer Games. As a gymnast for Team USA, Biles won four gold medals in the floor exercise, vault, all-around and team segments — a first for a woman since 1974. This victory has led to Biles becoming America’s most decorated gymnast of all time. Dominating a historically white-lead sport as a Black woman, Biles continues to use her platform to speak out on injustices within and outside the sports world.  

What viewers can look forward to when watching the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games is seeing more female athletes achieve milestone moments while representing their country, where half of the participating athletes are women.