Throughout history, there have been many women athletes who have made significant contribution to the field. The list includes many familiar and great female athletes such as Cathy Freeman, Wilma Rudolph, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Allyson Felix, Valerie Adams.The women athletes featured in this list are from United States, United Kingdom, Canada & Australia and many more countries.
This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
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Birthdate: November 12, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Onești, Romania
Nadia Comaneci is a Romanian former gymnast. One of the best-known gymnasts in the world, Comaneci has five Olympic gold medals under her belt. Credited with popularizing gymnastics around the world, Nadia Comaneci was honored by the Laureus World Sports Academy by including her in their Athletes of the 20th Century list in 2000.
Birthdate: December 21, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: September 21, 1998
Legendary American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner is still regarded as the fastest woman in the world. Her world records in both the 100m and 200m categories have still not been broken. The three-time Olympic gold medal winner was also known for her six-inch nails and her unconventional outfits.
Birthdate: November 18, 1985
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles
The most-decorated track and field athlete, Allyson Felix, once bullied for having skinny legs, now has a record 9 Olympic medals, including 6 gold medals. Named to Time 100 in 2020, she is also part of the board of Right to Play, which caters to children in underdeveloped countries.
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Birthdate: January 7, 1991
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Polokwane, Limpopo, South African
Two-time Olympic gold medalist middle-distance runner Caster Semenya in an intersex woman, with high testosterone levels. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was asked to take medication to decrease her testosterone levels, to participate in the 2021 Olympics women’s events, and filed a case in the European Court of Human Rights.
Birthdate: January 28, 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
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.
Birthdate: June 23, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States
Died: November 12, 1994
Sprinter Wilma Rudolph made history by becoming the first American female athlete to win three track and field gold medals in a single Olympic game. As a child, she needed orthopedic shoes to help her walk. The sports icon lost her life to cancer but was immortalized through books and movies.
Birthdate: March 3, 1962
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: East St. Louis, Illinois, United States
The first to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered by many as one of the greatest female athletes ever. While in school, she excelled in sports such as volleyball, basketball, and track, and also did well in studies. She later won three Olympic golds medals.
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Birthdate: February 16, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Slade Point, Australia
Cathy Freeman is a former sprinter known for her achievements in the 400 meters events. Her personal best of 48.63, set at the 1996 Olympics, makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. She gave Australia an Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics. Also a humanitarian, Freeman is credited with founding the Cathy Freeman Foundation.
Birthdate: August 27, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: West Bromwich
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.
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Kelly Holmes(Middle-Distance Runner Who Won Two Golds in the 2004 Olympics in Athens)
Birthdate: April 19, 1970
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pembury, Kent, England
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.
Birthdate: October 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rotorua, New Zealand
Star shot-putter of New Zealand Valerie Adams boasts of two Olympic golds and four World Championship titles. IAAF’s 2014 World Athlete of the Year, she was one of 18 children born to an English father and a Tongan mother and first gained attention after breaking a 20-year school shot-put record.
Birthdate: March 22, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California, USA
Allison Stokke became an internet sensation after a few of her images went viral when she was 17. The talented high-school pole vaulter earned the 2011 All-American honors. She later gained more fame as a fitness model and a sex symbol than as a sportsperson. She also failed her Olympic trials.
Birthdate: August 5, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa, United States
While she believes missing out on the gold medal at the 100m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was her most painful experience, American hurdler and bobsledder Lolo Jones is still quite a star. She has penned a memoir and has also appeared on shows such as Celebrity Big Brother.
Birthdate: August 15, 1978
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Santa Clara, California, United States
American beach-volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was born to a baseball player father and a volleyball player mother, and was naturally drawn toward sports. She later attended Stanford on a sports scholarship and won three gold medals at the Olympics. She is married to fellow beach-volleyball player Casey Jennings
Birthdate: October 14, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
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.
Birthdate: March 5, 1986
Sun Sign: Pisces
Ellen Whitaker is an English show jumping rider. In September 2019, she was ranked 211 on the FEI riders' Longines Ranking list. She began competing at the tender age of five and qualified for the Horse Of The Year Show (HOYS) at just eight years old. She represented Great Britain in the European Championships in 2007.
Birthdate: December 27, 1986
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kingston
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a Jamaican sprinter who achieved international recognition in 2008 when she won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing. She then went on to win gold medals at the 2012 and 2020 Olympic Games. Counted among the greatest sprinters of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also has many World Championship gold medals under her belt.
Birthdate: January 9, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Liverpool
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.
Birthdate: June 15, 1992
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Utrecht, Netherlands
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Helen Skelton(Co-Presenter of the BBC Children's Program 'Blue Peter' and 'Countryfile')
Birthdate: July 19, 1983
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kirkby Thore, Cumbria, England
Best known for her work on BBC productions like Blue Pete, English television presenter Helen Skelton is also a trained lap dance teacher and an adventurer, who kayaked the entire length of River Amazon to raise fund for Sports Relief 2020. Author of Amy Wild: Amazon Summer, she is also the first person to reach South Pole using a bicycle.
Birthdate: November 20, 1976
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Known as Awesome Dawesome, Dominique Dawes is a retired star gymnast from the U.S. who was part of the gold-winning team at the Atlanta Olympics. She also became the first African-American to earn an individual Olympic medal, with her bronze. She is also part of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
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Paula Radcliffe(Marathon runner, Long-distance runner, Athletics competitor)
Birthdate: December 17, 1973
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Northwich
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.
Birthdate: February 17, 1989
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mansfield
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!
Birthdate: July 20, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
Born without fibular bones, Aimee Mullins had to have her legs amputated below the knee as an infant. Undeterred, she grew up to be a Paralympic record-breaker, competing as a track and field athlete with prosthetic legs. She has walked the ramp for Alexander McQueen and has starred in films, too.
Birthdate: June 12, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Burnaby
Birthdate: April 26, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lage Vuursche, Netherlands
Died: January 25, 2004
Birthdate: January 20, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City
Born to former New York City mayor and media magnate Michael Bloomberg, Georgina Bloomberg was no stranger to the glitz of an affluent lifestyle. An elite equestrian, she now owns the New York Empire team. She has also co-authored a few novels and is an animal rights activist and a philanthropist.
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Michelle Jenneke(Hurdler who won a silver medal for the 100 m hurdles at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics)
Birthdate: June 23, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kenthurst, Australia
Michelle Jenneke is an Australian track and field athlete and model. She won a silver medal for Australia at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. She received international recognition in 2012 when her pre-race warm-up dance became famous on the internet. As a model, Michelle Jenneke was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2013.
Birthdate: September 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Gymnast Dominique Moceanu was part of the Magnificent Seven, the women’s team that won the gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. After retiring, she has studied management and also penned a book. She also sued her father for misusing her earnings as a gymnast and won the case.
Birthdate: June 3, 1982
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Volgograd, Russia
Birthdate: January 7, 1943
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kusunoki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Died: October 25, 1955
At age 2, Sadako Sasaki survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, being just 2km away from the bombing site. However, years later, she developed leukemia, as an aftermath of the bombing. While in hospital, battling the terminal disease, she folded over 1,000 origami cranes, in the hope of getting better.
Birthdate: January 5, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Amberg
Kathrine Switzer was a 20-year-old Syracuse University student when she registered for the Boston Marathon in 1967. Though women were practically barred from competing, she competed as KV Switzer, avoiding mentioning her gender. Attacked at the event, she made history and became a champion for women’s rights.
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Babe Didrikson Zaharias(Only Track & Field Athlete to Win Individual Olympic Medals in Separate Running, Throwing and Jumping Events)
Birthdate: June 26, 1911
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas, United States
Died: September 27, 1956
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who specialized in golf, track and field, basketball, and baseball. Considered one of the greatest female athletes ever, Didrikson won two gold medals and a silver medal in track and field at the Summer Olympics in 1932. She then went on to win 10 LPGA major championships, becoming USA's first female golf celebrity.
Birthdate: August 2, 1996
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
Simone Manuel is the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming, She achieved this feat at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She started swimming at the age of four and swam across the pool on her second day of swim lessons.At the 2016 Olympics, she won gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter medley.
Birthdate: May 10, 1993
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Reykjavík, Iceland
Birthdate: January 4, 1964
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Turlock, California, United States
Best known for her roles in Lizzie McGuire and Material Girls, arm-wrestler-cum-actress Dot-Marie Jones never aspired to become an actress. Instead she competed in shot put and power lifting, eventually becoming 15-time world arm wrestling champion. Discovered at a body-building tournament by Shirley Eson, she debuted on screen with Knights and Warriors, thereafter appearing in numerous films and television productions
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Zola Budd(Two-time winner at the World Cross Country Championships (1985–1986))
Birthdate: May 26, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South Africa
Zola Budd is a South African former athlete who used to compete in long-distance and middle-distance running. Budd represented Great Britain at the 1984 Olympic Games before representing South Africa at the 1992 Olympic Games. Zola Budd also took part in the 1985 and 1986 World Cross Country Championships, winning gold medals on both occasions.
Birthdate: May 29, 1993
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Türi, Estonia
Birthdate: March 3, 1961
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Stoke Newington, United Kingdom
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.
Birthdate: March 25, 1967
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Poughkeepsie
Former figure skater Debi Thomas is also an Olympic bronze medalist. She began skating at 5 and participated in her first figure-skating contest at 9. A Stanford engineer and a qualified orthopedic surgeon, too, Thomas surprisingly ended up being broke and began living in a trailer in the Appalachian mountains.
Birthdate: September 24, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Stotfold
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.
Birthdate: February 7, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Delilah DiCrescenzo is an American track and field athlete who competes in the 3000 meters steeplechase. She helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Americas Cross Country Championships in 2009. Delilah DiCrescenzo is the subject of a hit song titled Hey There Delilah by the popular American rock band Plain White T's.
Birthdate: December 5, 1995
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Marystown, Canada
Birthdate: September 18, 1989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Reykjavík, Iceland
Birthdate: May 22, 2003
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kavango East, Namibia
Birthdate: September 12, 1992
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Reykjanesbær, Iceland
Birthdate: August 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Stevens Point
Suzy Favor Hamilton is a former middle-distance runner who participated in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Summer Olympics, representing the USA. Favor broke many hearts when she turned to prostitution which in turn ended her career as an athlete. She claimed mental illness as the reason for her downfall and is currently serving as a speaker at mental health conferences.
Birthdate: January 14, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Prokhladny, Russia
Birthdate: December 4, 1995
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Orpington ,England
Birthdate: May 10, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hanover Parish, Jamaica
Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican-Slovenian retired track and field sprinter. She represented Jamaica in international events for 24 years before representing Slovenia for 10 years. In 1993, she clocked 21.87 seconds to set the world indoor record for 200 metres; she has been holding that record ever since. Merlene Ottey is also known for winning several medals at Olympic Games.