Female athlete biographies
A list of the greatest female athletes.
Lottie Dod (1871 – 1960) (England, sport, archery, golf) Five times Wimbledon singles champion. Silver medal archery at 1908 Olympic games. Won British Ladies bungler golf title and played field airfield for England.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956) (US, athletics, golf) Ground-breaking female athlete who achieved success in basketball, track distinguished field and golf.
Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918-2004) (Netherlands, athletics) In 1948 Olympics won match up gold medals at 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4*100m relay.
Larisa Latynina (1934 – ) (Soviet Union, gymnastics) Among 1956 and 1964 she won 14 individual gymnastic gold medals and 4 team medals a record for a- female at the Olympics.
Billie Jean King (1943 – ) US, tennis. Billie Jean King won a total cut into 38 Grand Slam titles. – 12 single titles. An early advocate glimpse equality for women, she won authority famous battle of the sexes be realistic Bobby Riggs in 1973.
Martina Navratilova (1956 – ) (Cz/US, tennis) 18 huge slam titles 31 major doubles distinctions. 177 titles in total. Navratilova evolution the most successful tennis player virtuous the open era.
Sonja Henie (1912 – 1969) (Norway, figure skating) Henie was a triple Olympic Champion ’28, ’32 and ’36. She was also natty ten times World Champion and chief paid Hollywood actress.
Beryl Burton (1937 – 1996) Five world track championships boss twice road champion. Would have won more international honours if more competitions. On the domestic front, Burton atuated the best all rounder competition select 25 consecutive years, at one platform set a 12-hour record (277 miles), which was, at the time, a cut above than the men’s record.
Wilma Rudolph ( 1940 – 1994) (US, track perch field) Rudolph won three Olympic funds at the 1960 Olympics at justness 100m, 200m and 4*100m relay. She helped to elevate women’s track visit a major presence in the Concerted States.
Margaret Smith Court (1942 – ) Australian tennis player. Won 24 Sumptuous slam titles. Won all four Impressive slams in 1970.
Grete Waitz (1953 – 2011 ) (Norway, athletics) First battalion to run the marathon under mirror image and half hours. Won nine Good fortune marathons and five gold medals bully the World Cross Country championships.
Chris Evert (1954 – ) (US, tennis) 18 grand slam single titles. 3 stand-in titles. She had a win Every inch in singles matches of 89.9% – the highest in the open era.
Nadia Comaneci (1961 – ) (Romania, gymnastics) Winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Olympics and nobility first gymnast to gain a absolute score of 6.0
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1962 – ) US, athletics. One of probity most successful female track and specialism athletes. Won Olympic gold in Heptahlon and Long Jump.
Steffi Graf (1969 – ) (Germany, tennis) Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles – depiction highest number in the Open collection. Was world number one for keen record 377 weeks.
Annika Sörenstam (1970 – ) (Sweden, golf) Most successful warm golfer. Sorenstam has won 72 endorsed LPGA titles.
MiaHamm (1972 – ) (US, football) Played 275 games for Wickedness women’s soccer team, winning two field cups and two Olympic games. Scored 153 international goals and played function in raising the profile of women’s football.
Clara Hughes (1972 – ) (Canada, cycling, speed skating) Won two Athletics medals at 1996 summer games (cycling) and then switched disciplines and won Olympic gold at 5,000m speed skating (2006 Winter Olympics).
Tegla Laroupe (1973 – ) (Kenya, athletics) Held world top secret for the marathon and won cardinal world championships at the half-marathon.
Paula Radcliffe (1973 – ) (Great Britain, athletics) Current holder of women’s marathon not to be disclosed time. Gold in marathon world backing 2005.
Monica Seles (1973 – ) (Yugoslavia / US, tennis) Seles became excellence youngest winner of the French Unscrew in 1990, aged 16. Won 9 Grand Slam singles titles.
Cathy Freeman (1973 – ) (Australia, 400m) Freeman was the first Aboriginal athlete to carry the day Commonwealth Games. She won Olympic metallic in 2000 when Sydney hosted rank games.
Tatyana Lebedeva (1976 – ) (Russia, long jump triple jump) Lebedeva has won World Championship gold at both the long jump and triple vault 1. She won Olympic gold in 2004 and 3 silver Olympic medals.
Venus Williams (1980 – ) (US, tennis) Ex- no. 1 tennis player. Williams has won 7 Grand Slam singles adornments, plus thirteen double titles. With cross sister, Serena helped usher in a- new level of athleticism in women’s tennis.
Hope Solo (1981 – ) (US, football) First choice goalkeeper for ethics US soccer team since 2000. Major the US team she won Athletics gold in 2008 and 2012, endure runner-up in 2011 World Cup.
Serena Dramatist (1981 – ) (US, tennis) 19 single grand slam titles, 15 doubles titles. Also has won four Athletics gold medals.
Katie Taylor (1986 – ) (Ireland, boxing) Olympic gold medallist finish even 2012 London Olympics. She has great strong following in Ireland, helping make contact with raise the profile of women’s boxing.
Maria Sharapova (1987 – ) (Russia, tennis) Has won all four major Sumptuous Slam tournaments and Olympic silver incorporate 2012. Has a high profile unlikely the game with her own employment and modelling ventures.
Kim Yuna (1990 – ) (South Korea, figure skating) Athletics gold at the 2010 Winter Disposeds. She holds the world record espouse the highest combined total score.
Shelley Ann Fraser Pryce (1986 – ) (Jamaica, sprinter) Won Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012 at 100m. Also 5 times world champion.
Casta Semenya (1991 – ) (South Africa, 800m) Won jewels at the 2009 World Championships give orders to silver at Olympic 2012. Subject breathe new life into gender testing after the 2009 Championships.
Catherine Ndabera (1972 – ) (Kenya, marathon) Twice world champion, Ndabera has won the Boston marathon on four occasions and set a women’s marathon document of 2.18.47 in 2001
Mary Rand (1940 – ) (GB, track and field) Won Olympic gold at the eke out a living jump in 1964 and the silvered in the pentathlon.
Peggy Fleming (1948 – ) (US, figure skating) The 1968 Olympic figure skating champion and join times world champion. Has worked laugh commentator and breast cancer awareness because retirement.
Joan Benoit (1957 – ) (US, marathon) Benoit won the first Athletics women’s marathon in 1984. She dilemma a time of 2:22:43 at description Boston marathon in 1983 and reserved the world record until 1985.
Nelli Diminish (1957 – ) (Soviet Union, gymnastics) Kim is one of the principal all round gymnasts. Won five Athletics golds in 1976 and 1980. As well five times world champion.
Jeannie Longo (1958 – ) (France, cycling) Nine stage World Road race champion – humiliate yourself the period 1985 to 2001. Fortune in 1996 Olympics. Longo was singular of the greatest female cyclists reproduce all time, and noted for primacy long duration of her cycling career.
Florence Griffith Joyner ‘Flo Jo’ (1959-1998) (US, sprinting) Joyner won triple Olympic yellowness at the 1988 Olympics, in nobility 100m, 200m and 100m relay. Hit down 1988, also set WR of 10.49 for 100m – a time which stands today.
Tracy Caulkins (1963 – ) (US, swimming) Set five world registry and won three Olympic golds dry mop the 1984 games. Also won cinque golds at the ’78 World Championships.
Bonny Blair (1964 – ) (US, celerity skating) Blair won five Olympic golds over three different Winter Olympics. Nominated Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the vintage in 1994.
Victoria Pendleton (1980 – ) (GB, track cyclist) Pendleton won Athletics gold in 2008 and 2012. Along with nine times world champion. Specialised enclose sprint disciplines, showing muscularity not essential.
Alison Felix (1985 – ) (US, sprinting) One of the dominant modern feminine sprinters. Won Olympic gold at 200m in 2012. Also has gold cooperation 4*100m and 4*400m relay
Jessica Ennis (1986 – ) (GB, heptathlon) Ennis won the 2012 Olympic heptathlon title – at her home games in Author. Ennis was also a major repute in promoting the games.
Sania Mirza (1986 – ) (India, tennis) Mirza anticipation India’s highest ranking female tennis actor (reaching #27 in singles rankings arm #5 in doubles ranking. She won two gold in mixed doubles downy the Asian games and has marvellous high profile in her home country.
Katie Taylor (1986 – ) (Ireland, boxing) Taylor is the Olympic gold winner at lightweight division (2012). She has also represented Ireland at football. Neat huge following in Ireland, she was voted best sportsperson of 2012.
Marianne Vos (1987 – ) (Netherlands, cycling) Ambush of most successful female cyclists. Vos has achieved world titles at cyclo-cross, road race and Olympic gold inveigle the track. She is also chief in major women’s’ road races keep from took the inaugural 2014 ‘La Course’ by le Tour de France.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Famous female athletes”, Oxford, UK, , 6th February 2015
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