best female track athletes of all time
Last fall, Meyers Taylor announced she was pregnant and would miss this current bobsledding season. In 2016, after former NFL player Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem, she became both the first white and the first female athlete to kneel in solidarity. picture source: joe.ie Miesha Tate is a fierce mixed martial artist competing and beating others in the UFC. If I, one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes, couldn’t secure these protections, who could?” This time the athletic apparel behemoth listened. And three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it takes a team.”, “She’s my heroine,” says Morris of Nyad, noting not only the record-breaking swim but also Nyad’s outspokenness about the sexual abuse of swimmers. “I like to think that by doing this, I'm hopefully setting a precedent for someone who is watching me…that I’m breaking down barriers to show people that [people with disabilities] can be out there,” she told Glamour last year after returning from a climb into Everest’s “death zone.”. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, sprinter Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, sweeping the field and breaking records in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100-meter relay. Ad Choices, 40 Most Powerful Female Athletes of All Time. The 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, women were allowed to compete in track and field for the first time and the Canadian women headed straight to the podium. The sports star has become India’s most sought-after female athlete after being the first Indian to win the season-ending BWF World Tour finals tournament in 2018. At the PGA Tour’s 2003 Bank of America Colonial event, Sörenstam teed up alongside the best male golfers in the world, becoming the first woman to do so since Babe Zaharias Didrickson in 1945. Just two years later, the decorated leader was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease but proceeded to coach one more season while raising awareness for the illness. Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, launched the Avon International Running Circuit, 72 Ladies Professional Golf Association events during her career, one of the most decorated U.S. Olympic bobsledders, DeFrantz became the first African American—and woman, became the IOC’s first female vice president, American records in two different weight classes, and earned two gold medals at the Pan-American Games, plus seven USAW national championships, greatest beach volleyball team of all time, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019, FIFA’s Women’s 2019 Player of the Year Award. “It’s like, ‘Oh wow, this is not the baton you want to be handed,’” Lowe, a 36-year-old mother of three told Team USA, “but it’s so important for awareness and continuing research.” So while Lowe battles the disease and recovers from chemotherapy (according to an Instagram post in January, she’s done with treatment), she continues to train with the hopes of making her fifth Olympic team. Long distance runner from China. Her time in that race of 10.49 seconds was faster than the men's records in multiple countries, including Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Turkey. See our gallery of best-ever athletes, as determined by Buffalo News sports department staffers, in … “Tell your story,” Nyad wrote, urging other victims to speak out. Most … Evert sometimes gets forgotten amongst the other tennis stars, yet her legacy as one of the sport’s greatest winners cannot be ignored. But the very next day, in true champion style, she promptly won the women’s drivers division at USA Bobsled Push Championships. “This is not just a player who won a ton of titles—this is someone who transcended our sport and opened a pathway for people of color,” Katrina Adams, the first African American USTA president, told the New York Times. “I want to get to this coming season [the 2019–2020 season] and still be one of the top racers, but also be pushing my own limits, pushing the limits of the sport, and pushing the other girls to push themselves,” Shiffrin told Glamour in 2019. "For me, it's about trying something that no one my age has done before, and to hopefully open doors for other athletes who may have closed them because they felt they were too old,” Torres told Glamour before the 2008 Games. Let’s start with the perfect 10, shall we? As one of the first openly gay athletes, the tennis champ has advocated for equal rights and supported numerous charities that back the cause. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. 3) Jim Thorpe. Just in the single year 2017, Olympic, World, and U.S. Champion Tori Bowie's 100 meters lifetime best of 10.78 was beaten 15,000 times by men and boys. From Ethiopia, Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. ONLY MAN TO REACH THE 100 200 400 FINALS IN THE OLYMPICS, Your list is the worst i have seen ... complete joke, One of the greatest athlets of all time, must be, Hi, I think you missed some great names of male T&F athletes (from Pesho, Dec 2011). O'Neal is seventh on the all-time scoring list (28,596 points) and 14th all-time in rebounds (13,099). Football/Soccer is clearly the world's most popular sport, and has the most popular athletes, but which sport has the fittest players (but not necessarily the greatest athlete). Since then, she’s turned her focus to a different goal: creating one unified, sustainable professional women’s ice hockey league in North America. Tamera Young (Women’s basketball, 2005-08) Tamera Young is one of two women’s basketball players on the list. In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games. They smash barriers. He's also a 15-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time all-NBA first-team selection. She also went on to become a four-time finalist and silver medalist at the 1978 World Rowing Championships and a six-time national champion. Ali was a star defender for team USA and named one of Fox Soccer’s Best 11 in 2011. Three-time Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor didn’t pick up the sport until 2007. Last October, Simone Biles officially secured her status as the GOAT of gymnastics. USA sprinter. The first women to compete in the Olympic Games played a quiet croquet match in a cauldron of trees and grass in Paris in 1900. In 1999 the IAAF voted her the greatest female athlete of the 20th century. Kohli took over India's one-day international captaincy and scored over 2,500 runs in ODIs. “I’m the antithesis of no fucks given—I give all the fucks,” Rapinoe previously told Glamour. Competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton was just 13 years old when she lost her arm in a shark attack in Kauai, Hawaii. Her popularity exponentially gre… In 2014 she founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, which promotes diverse and inclusive leadership. Make sure that you know what they are.”. Richardson went on to become medical director of the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida, and vice chair of the President’s Council on Fitness. After her hearing was permanently impaired during the record-breaking swim, she also went on to teach the sport to deaf children. Didrikson Zaharias died from the disease in 1956, but her legacy lives on: In 2000, Sports Illustrated named her a top athlete of the 20th century. The reason? In 2019, the superstar forward led the USWNT to its historic World Cup Win, tying for the most goals scored of the tournament (six) and winning a slew of awards, including the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball as well as FIFA’s Women’s 2019 Player of the Year Award later that fall. She is one of the main contributors to the incredible 2015 United States Women’s Soccer team, perhaps the best national women’s soccer team of all time. Previously in 2019, Felix took another step forward for athletes-slash-mothers when she followed the lead of fellow Olympians Alysia Montaño and Kara Goucher and called out Nike’s lack of support for pregnant women and mothers. In 2002, Lisa Leslie demolished a gender barrier in basketball when she became the first woman to slam-dunk in a WNBA game. Then, Ennis found mountain climbing—and a higher calling. countries, four medals (three gold, one silver) and setting records in the 100-meter and 200-meter that stand to this day, became the first men’s or women’s NCAA basketball coach, one of the most prolific scorers in the history, oldest swimmer in history to bring home Olympic hardware, mesmerizing performance on the uneven bars, an era when women were not encouraged to participate in sports, short stint playing professional basketball with the Richmond Rage, ushered in an unprecedented level of media attention, win three gold medals in a single Olympics. These players do not always earn the most. I suggest these athletes should be surely included in your list. She Won. In 2018, Walsh Jennings, who openly expressed disappointment over that third place finish in Rio, told the Associated Press she wants to fight for gold one more time at the 2020 Tokyo Games. In an era when women were not encouraged to participate in sports, American Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias excelled in essentially all of the sports—from track, swimming, softball, and tennis to baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, and more. © 2021 Condé Nast. Five years after Switzer’s historic finish, the Boston Marathon expanded entry to women, a crucial step in the fight toward equality in running. DeFrantz has made her biggest marks on history outside the boat. Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. These guys were simply built for sport, guys who did -- or could have -- succeeded in just about any sport they chose. In the 1912 Olympics, Thorpe won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. Gibson also made her mark in another sport: In 1964, she turned her focus to professional golf, becoming the first African American member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. And in May, she became the first out gay woman to pose for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue. Dozens of amateur national and world records, plus three Olympic medals in swimming. We miss her! If you haven’t noticed track and field sprinters are pretty jacked, so much so that we decided it was time to make a list of the most jacked sprinters of all time. Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. She also cofounded Athletes for Hope with Joyner-Kersee and other athletes. See the IAAF Hall of Fame for another list of greatest athletes of all time. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings are widely considered the best female beach volleyball team of all time. If you take her to be just another pretty face, it is probably because you were living under a rock. underserved communities through sports and academics. Most individual world titles of any athlete ever. That moment (which you can witness here) is just one of the Leslie’s many awe-inspiring accomplishments. Hamm’s dominance on the field ushered in an unprecedented level of media attention for a women’s sports team, especially during the 1999 World Cup. On August 6, 1926, 21-year-old Getrude Ederle battled the cold, choppy waters of the Atlantic Ocean to become the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. Summitt died in 2016 at age 64; the Pat Summitt Foundation, which she and her son Tyler founded in 2011 to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s, continues on. Swedish American Annika Sörenstam is one of the best golfers in history, winning a standing-ovation-worthy 72 Ladies Professional Golf Association events during her career. While this is an all-time list you will find most of the athletes on here are from more recent times. First man to win gold medal in 200m and 400m in the same Olympics. He was a two-time football All-American at Carlisle and was considered the best football (his favorite sport) player in the country (although there was no awards at the time). "If I have anything to leave," she said, according to the Times, "the foundation is my legacy. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer challenged those assumptions by running—and finishing—the iconic race, which at that time was still a men-only competition (another woman, Roberta Gibb, ran the race the year before but didn’t have a bib). In November 2017, at the start of the #MeToo movement, Nyad penned an op-ed for the New York Times in which she discussed how, as a young athlete, she and her teammates had been repeatedly molested by their male swim coach. The best of the best have made it to our 7 Sporting Wonders Lists. At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won gold in both the 80-meter hurdles and javelin, and took silver in the high jump. Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. Be sure to tune in to ColinR… Hamm, a goal-scoring powerhouse on Team USA, played on the 1991 and 1999 World Cup winning teams as well as the gold-medal-clinching teams at the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. The gifted multisport athlete (Cunningham trained in three different sports at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers: gymnastics, soccer, and weightlifting) also attended the 2004 Athens Games, where she finished 10th in her division, set American records in two different weight classes, and earned two gold medals at the Pan-American Games, plus seven USAW national championships. Held world record in 200m for 12 years from 1996 to 2008, and is still the current world-record holder in 400m (set in 1999). “Hopefully, they’re going to think that they can do it too and that they can do it better than me,” she added. At this point in her legendary career, we have just one question for tennis superstar Serena Williams: Is there anything she can’t do? A long distance runner from Czechoslovakia. Joyner-Kersee is recognized as one of the greatest all-time track and field competitors, dominating both the heptathlon and long jump for nearly a decade. Last year she penned a powerful essay for Harper’s Bazar that discusses, among other things, the times she’s faced discrimination during her career. “Know your risk and find ways to mitigate them. “It’s only a mountain.”. Here, in no particular order, the 40 most powerful women athletes of all time. We have used a weighted total medal count of each male and female Track and Field athlete … HERB MC'KENLEY. 4-time Olympian and 6-time Olympic medalist from the USA who twice won gold in the Heptathlon. Serena Williams We love Serena Williams. There, she went on to lead the team to an astounding eight NCAA championship wins, including a then unprecedented three-peat performance in 1996, 1997, and 1998. It brought renewed national and international interest toward what new realms of climbing were possible on the big walls of Yosemite, and it helped inspire the top technical climbers to broaden their skill sets in ways still being manifested today.”. The seriously talented athlete is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time MVP of the WNBA, two-time FIBA World Cup gold medalist, and 2002 World Cup MVP. They transcend sports to become cultural game changers. Sports Illustrated voted her the greatest female athlete of the 20th century. There are legends, and then there is Billie Jean King. Where to even begin with swimming goddess Dara Torres? Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. “She led the way for female African American Olympic track stars like Wilma Rudolph, Evelyn Ashford, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.” Though the 1948 Olympics marked the end of Coachman’s track-and-field career, she continued to make an impact on the lives of others, becoming an elementary school teacher and founding the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation to help young athletes and former competitors, per the Times. That’s the most any player, male or female, has earned since the Open Era in tennis began in 1968. Finnish middle-distance runner from the 1920s, winner of 12 Olympic medals in track and field (9 of them gold). As for her medical career? A 6’1″, 180-pound brick of a man. Megan Rapinoe, soccer queen and relentless equality advocate, is only 34 and already a living legend. Don't Edit Superstar American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner brought serious speed—and impeccable style—to the track with her record-breaking pace, iconic one-legged jumpsuits, and nearly six-inch-long painted fingernails. He won nine Olympic gold medals in the long jump and sprints. It gets even more spectacular: Because of the especially rough ocean conditions at the time, Ederle tackled at least 14 more miles than she would have had she been able to chart a straight line (35 versus 21 miles), per the New York Times. "There's no reason to exclude women from any sport.". “Let us never again be silenced.”, Considered to be one of the best rock climbers in the world, Lynn Hill made history in 1993 when she became the first person in the world—man or woman—to free climb The Nose, a steep, exposed route on Yosemite’s legendary El Capitan. “We’re very grateful for what we have, but we’re definitely demanding what we deserve,” the star forward previously told Glamour. There are many ways to prevent cancer for yourself or those you love . His 1968 Olympic Games long jump record is regarded as the most exceptional single performance in the history of athletics, 400m Hurdler. Even more impressive, Ederle recorded the fastest time in history by more than two hours, besting all five men who had previously gone the distance. Now 30, Hamilton is a pro surfer, motivational speaker, author, member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and mother of two. ), per the New York Times. But just three years later, the former collegiate softball player made the U.S. Olympic bobsled team—and earned a bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games. The Olympic Games are the greatest of all international sporting events in the world. Among other service-oriented work, she’s mentored and helped American military service members get involved in Paralympic sports and other activities, per Team USA. A standout softball star from a young age, Richardson earned All-American status as a collegiate player, won two gold medals at the Pan American Games, and was named NCAA Player of the Decade for the 1980s. Her talent on the court has not gone unnoticed. Less than two miles into the race, which Switzer had registered for under the gender ambiguous name “K.V. All rights reserved. After the Canadian Women’s Hockey League collapsed last year, Knight and other professional players formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, which aims to establish a pro league that provides players with livable salaries. After overcoming physical challenges early in life and soaring to her illustrious athletic career, Rudolph established her eponymous foundation to support young folks in underserved communities through sports and academics. They won three consecutive gold medals at … The Czech-born International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, who defected to the U.S. in 1976, finished her career with an astounding number of wins: 167 singles tournaments, 177 doubles events, and 2,189 matches. 7 of 26 Who are the 10 best male and female athletes ever to come out of Western New York? Arguably the greatest female track star of all time, Joyner-Kersee was a dominant force in the long jump and heptathlon, medaling at four different Olympics. Olympic rower Anita DeFrantz competed in the 1976 Montreal Games, serving as captain of the U.S. team that captured bronze in the sport’s Olympic debut for women. After surviving a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan, former Marine Kirstie Ennis endured dozens of surgeries, an above-the-knee amputation on her left leg, and a traumatic brain injury. The confident competitor (who once told the New York Times that there was no other woman “who rivals me very closely as an athlete”) won three medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympic Games. Young is an all around talent. Last March, when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation over allegations of gender discrimination, Morgan’s name was the first one of 28 listed on the suit. “I’ve won five world titles, and if I say, ‘I’m the best gymnast there is,’ [the reaction is] ‘Oh, she’s cocky. At the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials, FloJo smashed the women’s world record in the 100-meter while rocking a bright magenta and teal ensemble, challenging stereotypes of what a powerful female athlete should look like. Still holds the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 meters and 200 meters. I think it’s important to teach [young girls] that.” Louder for the people in the back, please. Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions. Named in the IAAF Hall of Fame. A Finnish long-distance runner, he won eight Olympic medals in the 1920s. The nine-time grand slam tournament champion won another 44 times on tour and earned close to $15 million in … After a record-shattering 2018–2019 season, Shiffrin put herself on pace to win as many as 125 World Cup races, which would eclipse the current career record by 39 (! Marta has been named FIFA World Player of the Year six times, including five consecutive from 2006-10, and is regarded as one of the best female players of all-time. Monica Seles remains one of the richest female athletes in the world. Throughout history, there have been many British women athletes who have made significant contribution to the field. These male and female athletes honed their skills at HBCUs in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. As more women started running marathons, Switzer continued to race (she won the New York Marathon in 1974, among other accomplishments) and also launched the Avon International Running Circuit, which hosts women-only races in 27 countries. Her dominance on the WTA Tour is unprecedented and she's a treat to watch every time she steps on the court - for a number of reasons. Joyner-Kersee is big on giving back. Also damn impressive: Weeks after winning the 2012 Games, Walsh Jennings announced that she was pregnant with her third child—and had been during the Olympic competition. “You know, so many people are like, ‘Why would you get back into the ocean with sharks?’ and I'm like, ‘Well, I just have more fear of losing this love that I have for riding waves.’". Two years later Hamilton became a national champion. Blind since birth, Zorn began swimming at age 10 and burst onto the Paralympic scene at the 1980 Games, winning seven gold medals and setting three world records. From climbing the highest mountains on earth to swimming in brutal ocean conditions to running 26.2 miles at blistering speeds, women have proved time and again that they’re capable of achieving seemingly impossible physical feats. With two Olympic gold medals, three World Championships, and 66 World Cup wins (and counting), Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the best Alpine skiers in history. 10. But for Felix, it's about much more than that. Among her many impressive titles: author, Broadway actor, movie star, big-name brand ambassador, diversity advocate, pop icon, Prince collaborator, internet troll fighter, and real-life hero to young dancers (just look at the fierceness she’s inspired). And her popularity, which continued after she officially hung up her cleats in 2004, was akin to the renown of top male athletes. Just two years after the passage of Title IX in 1972, Pat Summitt assumed the head coach position of the Lady Vols at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. “I see people who come back [from military tours] with injuries and it really inspires me to make them appreciate what they have and to make them understand that whatever you set your mind to, you can do,” she said during her induction into the Hall of Fame. It “made a memorable contribution in an age when many found it difficult to take female athletes seriously,” the Times wrote in Ederle’s 2003 obituary. If you believe that there is someone missing from this list, please place a comment below, including any relevant details about the person. ground breaking USA sprinter and long jumper who competed at the Olympics just once, in 1936, winning 4 gold medals. With the accolades came hardship—Vonn battled serious injuries throughout her career, including a torn knee ligament (which ruptured twice), a broken ankle, and critical nerve damage in her arm. Since establishing the Kirstie Ennis Foundation in 2018, Ennis has distributed more than $70,000 in grants for nonprofits serving veterans, women, and the disabled population. The athletes below are listed alphabetical order - once the shortlist is complete then you will be able to vote for who you think is the greatest of all. The American GOAT retired in 2019 at age 34 after racking up a mic-dropping amount of hardware, including three Olympic medals, seven World Championship medals, and of course, all of those World Cup wins. After paying tribute to some pioneering, inspiring and legendary figures in part one, it is time for my top ten female athletes of all-time.Strap in for the final countdown. But Ederle’s truly mind-boggling accomplishment was bigger than one single swim. In August the company announced a new maternity policy for all sponsored athletes that guarantees pay and bonuses for 18 months surrounding pregnancy. Soon after finishing the history-making swim, which Nyad had attempted five times before, she stood on the beach and spoke to the crowd that had gathered. So, when the sport was finally added to the Games in 1996, Richardson hit pause on her career and joined the American squad. During the 2019 FIFA Women’s Soccer World Cup, Morgan netted a record-breaking five goals in a single game; ignited the internet with her post-goal tea sipping; and stood up to critics who deemed her celebrations “disrespectful.”, But the 30-year-old’s fight for parity goes much further. “No, even when the injuries and the crashes seemed to endlessly pile up, I never changed. One more medal at Tokyo 2020 - her 5th Olympics - would make her immortal: the undisputed Greatest Of All Time. At age 14, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci shattered the definition of possible in gymnastics, earning the first perfect score ever awarded at the Olympics for her mesmerizing performance on the uneven bars during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Alice Coachman broke that barrier by launching herself to first place in women’s high jump at the 1948 London Games, a victory that marked one of “the most important turning points in terms of visible black womanhood and black women becoming symbols of American heroism,” says Bonnie J. Morris, a lecturer in the department of history at U.C. Women’s weightlifting made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, and that year American Tara Cunningham (née Nott) won gold in the 48-kilogram division, becoming the first female Olympic weightlifting champion in history, per Team USA, after she lifted more than twice her bodyweight. When we typed “Katie Ledecky swimmer” into Google, the search platform informed us that people also ask, “How do you swim like Katie Ledecky?” And that inquiry makes perfect sense. The former world-record holder in the 50-meter freestyle competed in a stunning five different Olympic Games, becoming the first American swimmer to ever do so. Copeland, who didn’t take up ballet until the late age of 13, is big on elevating the next generation of dancers. But with that success came sexism. A goal-scoring forward, Knight helped lead Team USA to gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Games—their first Olympic victory in 20 years. Olympic bronze medalist Katharine Merry joined Colin Murray and Danny Murphy on Thursday, and took the time to name her top ten track and field athletes of all time. “Two is, you are never too old to chase your dream. “In the next Olympics, the newest, fastest swimmer will be the next Katie Ledecky instead of the female Michael Phelps,” Lea Davison, two-time Olympic mountain biker, told Glamour in 2016. From there, she went on to have deep involvement with the Olympics administration, breaking gender and racial barriers along the way. List of Olympic medals over career. That three-peat feat made Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor the first women to win three Olympic medals in the sport and the first athletes—men or women—to earn three beach volleyball gold medals. Polish sprinter who won seven Olympic medals (three of them gold). “At a time when there were few high-profile black athletes beyond Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis, Coachman became a pioneer,” wrote the New York Times in Coachman’s 2014 obituary. “I’ve never been afraid,” she told Glamour shortly after announcing her retirement in February 2019. ), "I hope I'm obviously remembered for my on-ice legacy," Knight said in an ESPN article last year before the PWHPA was launched. The same is true of Olympic, World, and U.S. Champion Allyson Felix’s 400 meters lifetime best of 49.26. Now that’s a living legend in the making.