British Women Sportspersons

Jessica Ennis-Hill is a British retired track and field athlete. She specialized in multi-eventing disciplines and 100 meters hurdles. In 2012, she won an Olympic gold in the heptathlon. She was introduced to sports as a young girl and immediately took an interest in athletics. She has won several other titles as well in addition to her Olympic gold. 

Paula Radcliffe is a retired distance runner, credited with winning the London Marathon and the New York Marathon three times each. Born into an athletic family, she emerged as a running talent by the time she was in her teens, winning the world junior cross-country title at the age of nineteen, eventually. She held the Women's World Marathon Record from 2003 to 2019.

Rebecca Adlington made headlines with her double-gold win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in which she aced both the 400m and 800m freestyle events. After retiring at 23, she has worked for BBC as a sports pundit and participated in shows such as I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Kelly Holmes is a retired English middle-distance athlete who specialized in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters events. She won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Beginning her career with the British Army, she turned to professional athletics in 1993. She took part in her final major championship in 2004. 

Virginia Wade is a British former tennis player. A former world No. 2, Wade won three Grand Slam singles titles, including the famous 1977 Wimbledon, which was attended by Queen Elizabeth II. A former world No. 1 in doubles, Wade won four Grand Slam doubles titles. After retiring as a player, Wade has worked as a game analyst and commentator.

Alex Scott is an English TV presenter and former professional football player. Apart from playing for popular clubs like Arsenal and Birmingham City, Scott also represented the women's national football team. She also played for Great Britain at the London Olympics. In 2019, she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Denise Lewis is a British sports commentator and former athlete. She won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and became the first European to win Olympic gold in the heptathlon. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Lewis also won silver medals in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships. She was also the 1998 European Champion. 

Susie Wolff is a British retired racing driver who competed in Formula One. Wolff made history in 2014 when she became the first woman in 22 years to participate in a Formula One race weekend. Susie Wolff is the current CEO of Venturi Racing, which competes in Formula E.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is an English heptathlete whose performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games earned her a gold medal. She also won the gold at the 2019 World Championships. Katarina Johnson-Thompson holds the British record for the women's pentathlon with 5,000 points. A highly talented athlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson also holds the British records for high jump in both outdoors and indoors.

With six Olympic gold medals in her kitty, Laura Trott has become the most decorated female athlete from Britain in the Olympics. She is married to cyclist Jason Kenny, who is also an Olympic gold medalist. Surprisingly, born with asthma, she was advised by doctors not to take up sports.

Laura Robson is a British professional tennis player who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the mixed-doubles event. In 2012, Laura Robson reached the fourth round of the US Open singles championship, becoming the first British woman to do so at a Grand Slam tournament since Samantha Smith in 1998.

Though the daughter of a tennis coach mother, Katie Boulter had initially focused on playing the piano before she deviated to tennis as a career. She first gained attention after winning the Lemon Bowl at 11 and now has five singles and four doubles titles in her kitty.

Fatima Whitbread is a British former athlete who specialized in the Javelin throw. At the 1986 European Championships, Whitbread broke the world record in the qualifying round before winning the gold medal in the finals. She also has an Olympic silver and an Olympic bronze under her belt. A popular athlete, Whitbread also won the 1987 World Championships in Rome.

British auto racing driver Katherine Legge is best known for her participation in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. She became the second woman to test a F-1 car when, in 2005, she tested at Vallelunga Circuit for the Minardi F1 Team. She has also tested for the UK team at the A1 Grand Prix.

Former British tennis player Annabel Croft had begun playing tennis at age 9. At 15, she became the youngest from Britain to play senior Wimbledon in almost 100 years. Post-retirement, she has stepped into a broadcasting career and has also appeared on ITV’s Interceptor and Channel 4’s Treasure Hunt.

Zara Tindall is a British equestrian who won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. She excelled at many sporting activities as a young girl and represented her schools in hockey, athletics, and gymnastics. She eventually chose to pursue an equestrian career. 

Victoria Pendleton is a British former track cyclist who represented England and Great Britain in international cycling competitions. She dominated the individual sprint event from 2005 to 2012, winning a record six world titles in the individual sprint. Having won one Olympic silver medal and two gold medals, Pendleton is one of the most successful female Olympians from Great Britain.

Christine Ohuruogu is a British athlete who has won an Olympic gold medal, two World Championships, and a Commonwealth gold medal in the 400m event. She also has an Olympic silver medal and a couple of bronze medals under her belt. In 2016, she became the second British track and field athlete to win Olympic medals at three consecutive Games.

Known as Britain’s most successful gymnast, Beth Tweddle is a 3-time world champion and a 6-time European champion, apart from being an Olympic bronze medalist. Born in South Africa, she moved to England as a toddler and began training in gymnastics ate age 7. She has been named an MBE, too.

Retired British boxer Nicola Adams scripted history as the first female boxer to earn an Olympic gold and retain the gold at the following Olympic event. Openly lesbian, she is also an LGBT icon. Though shortlisted for Strictly Come Dancing, she withdrew after her partner tested COVID-positive.

Once ranked world number five, British tennis player Jo Durie has two Grand Slam titles in her kitty. She is a seven-time British National Singles winner and a nine-time British National Doubles winner. Post-retirement, she has been working as a coach and a BBC and Eurosport commentator.

Along with her twin sister, gymnast Jennifer Gadirova, British-born Azerbaijani gymnast Jessica Gadirova has created quite a stir in the gymnastics circuit. An expert in floor and vault, she has already won an Olympic bronze and a European Championship gold. She and her sister had taken up gymnastics at age 6.

British snowboarder Jenny Jones, especially known for winning Great Britain's first Olympic medal on the snow, rather than on ice, learned to ski before switching to snowboarding. Eventually she started representing her country in various international competitions, winning medals, making history by finishing third at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, earning a bronze medal in the women's slopestyle event.

Legendary British cyclist Beryl Burton dominated the British women’s racing scene from the 1950s to the 1980s. Apart from being a 5-time world champion, she set a new women’s record for the 25-mile time trial, which surpassed the men’s record for 2 years. Her achievements inspired a radio play.