The most successful women in sports

Today, the combination of the words women and sports does not cause disapproval. However, in the past, things were different. For a long time, sports had very little to do with women. Modest, contemplative, submissive, weak – that was the standard of a woman.

Except for a few ladies on the tennis courts, the sight of a woman striving for athletic achievement was a source of surprise and even outrage. It was because of prejudices prevalent in society.

A great success was the founding of the International Women’s Sports Federation in Paris in October 1921. From that moment a new era of sports began. Women were becoming successful and famous because of their sporting achievements. You can read about the successes of girls in sports on our website, where new publications appear every day.

Catherine Schwitzer

Since the age of five, Katrin Schwitzer was involved in running. She wanted to tie her whole life with this sport. The girl watched marathon runners in Boston every year. She dreamed of joining them. At the time, this was impossible, as the sport was considered exclusively a man’s activity.

However, Catherine Schwitzer didn’t let that stop her. She began to study the rules of the marathon. There was not a single point that prohibited women to participate in the competition. However, all acquaintances and friends warned the girl. They were not sure she would be able to at least register.

Catherine listened to them but did not give up the dream. Instead of her full name, she only gave her initials. This cunning allowed her to get on the start line. Before the race, the organizers tried to exclude Schwitzer, but it was impossible. Then they decided that there was no way the woman would be able to run the full distance.

The runner with the number 261 ran to the end. The result was not counted. Catherine was disqualified for frivolous reasons. Her action was condemned by the international community. Sports journalists revolted in the news headlines. She was expelled from most of the communities she belonged to.

Maria Sharapova

Tennis is a sport that many people play, but few stay in it. Maria Sharapova proved her seriousness in 2004 when she won Wimbledon. At 188 cm tall, she was the tallest woman in tennis. Every time she stepped on the court, she caused a sensation.  

In 2005, she ranked number one in the world tennis rankings. She was the first Russian woman to achieve such success.

According to Forbes magazine, she was the highest-paid female athlete in mid-2005, with an annual income of more than $18 million. A year later, thanks to a win at the US Open, it was already more than 20 million.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is one of the most famous names in the world of tennis. An extremely talented and skilled player, she demonstrates a powerful game every time she is on the tennis court.

In a career spanning two and a half decades, she was ranked number one in the world in 2002. She then climbed the Olympus five more times. During her career, she won 39 Grand Slam titles. The woman set the record by simultaneously holding all four Grand Slam titles in 2002-03 and 2014-15.

What gives her an edge over other players of her generation is her fast, energetic shot, followed by sharp forehand and backhand strokes, and aggressive style of play.

In addition to tennis, Serena has been active in developing her brand. She has played and voiced roles in several television shows and has also appeared on magazine covers. In 2004, she launched her clothing collection, Aneres, as well as a collection of handbags and jewelry.

Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya is a professional middle-distance runner and participant in the Olympic Games and world championships. She won two gold medals at the 2012 event and the 2016 Olympics. The athlete hails from South Africa and represented her country at the Continental Cup.

The athlete began her career when she was 17 years old. She competed in the 2008 World Junior Championships. Caster Semenya took first place at the 2009 World Championships. Sports commentators did not believe in this success. A popular sports magazine named Semenya the best women’s 800 meters runner.

Her results prompted the organizer to test the girl for doping. However, when the test came back negative, the IAAF asked the runner to take a gender confirmation test.

The gold medalist has earned most of her fortune from participating in events. Although her estimated net worth is $2 million, many sources say it is much higher.

Babe Didrikson Zacharias

The athlete was known for her outstanding performance in basketball and golf. She has been involved in a variety of sports since she was a child. Her dream to compete in the Olympics came true in 1932. Then she won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Los Angeles games.

She left her mark as an accomplished golfer, achieving success in 82 tournaments. Babe Zacharias was a founder of the Women’s Professional Golf Association. The Associated Press named Babe the athlete of the century.

The gifted athlete published her autobiography, This Life I Led, in 1955. The recipient of several prestigious awards, she was posthumously awarded the Bob Jones Award.

Danica Patrick

Cars are always associated with men. The image of the frail girl is atypical of the sport of racing. Danica Patrick had a hard time on her way to wins and recognition. She has long been rejected and faced defeat. Through hard work, an incredible drive to win, and professionalism, she became one of the most famous women in the world of motorsports.

At first, she had no clear career goals. She thought she would become a secretary, a singer, or a veterinarian. However, to improve the relationship between their daughters, Danica Patrick’s parents took her go-karting. So she began attending Sugar River Raceway in Broadhead, Wisconsin.

In 2003, she landed a lucrative contract with the Toyota Atlantic Series. It was a truly tremendous success. as the association had not welcomed women into its ranks for more than thirty years. After it, she rose to the podium and wrote her name in racing history.

Magdalena Neuner

Magdalena Neuner – the youngest winner of the World Cup, the ten-time World Champion in biathlon, two-time Olympic champion, and silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010.

At the 2007 World Biathlon Championships in Antholz, Italy, she won three gold medals in the pursuit, sprint, and relay events in her adult debut. Also in 2008, she won three medals (mass start race, relay, mixed relay) at the Biathlon World Championships in Östersund, Sweden. In the 2007/08 and 2009/10 seasons, she won the overall World Cup title, becoming the youngest holder of this title.

Gabriela Maria DeBus-Stafford

Gabriela Maria DeBus-Stafford is a Canadian middle and long-distance runner. The two-time Olympic gold medalist placed fifth in the women’s 1,500-meter run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. DeBus-Stafford is the NACAC site record holder in the 5,000-meter run, which she set in February 2022.

She holds six Canadian outdoor and indoor national records from 1,500 to 5,000 meters. She also won a silver medal at the 2015 Summer Universiade.

She and her younger sister Lucia originally trained to compete in Irish dance, but DeBus-Stafford switched to running, and Lucia joined her to spend more time with her father and sister.

Participating in the women’s 1,500-meter run at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland, DeBus-Stafford finished twelfth and did not make the finals. In July 2016, she was officially named to the Canadian Olympic team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The following year, she made her debut at the 2017 World Athletics Championships. While competing in the 2018 British Diamond League Grand Prix, she met coach Andy Young and, after discussions, agreed to move to Glasgow to train, where Young’s other students included Laura Muir.

On February 11, 2022, at the David Henry Valentine Invitational in Boston, DeBus-Stafford broke the North, Central American, and Caribbean indoor 5000-meter record with a time of 14m 31.38s, raising the mark set by American Shalane Flanagan in 2009 by more than 15 seconds.