The sports world has been blessed with a number of good female athletes. Weather it’s tennis, figure skating, gymnastics, basketball, or auto racing, the female athletic has made her mark in the sports world. Here are five of the ladies that I consider to be the best of the best leaders in the field of sports.
1. Chris Evert-Tennis-157 career single titles. Evert, affectionally known as Chrissy in the outside world, had that girl next door image. On the tennis court though, this strong, iron-willed athlete was no pushover. She reached the semifinals or better 17 times in Wimbledon. She settled in Aspen, Colorado after her retirement where she raised her family.
2. Billie Jean King-Tennis-39 Grand Slam titles & 695 match victories. Billie Jean King is one of my absolute all time favorite female athletes. She was a star at the height of the women’s liberation movement and endured a lot of controversery because of her views. She was known for beating Bobby Riggs in 1973 in the “Battle of the Sexes” match. Her devotion wasn’t limited to just tennis. In 1974 she helped create the Womens Sports Federation. She retired in 1984 from competive tennis.
3. Olga Korbut-Gymnastics-Miss Korbut introduced an acrobatic style to gymnastics. She paved the way for the smaller acrobatic gymnasts. This 80 pound athlete replaced an injured teammate before the 1972 olympics and wowed the public with a style never before seen in this sport. She proved you don’t have to be big to be mighty.
4. Mary Lou Retten-Gymnastics-First American athlete to win an olympic gold medal in gymnastics in 1984. She ended up winning 5 medals in the 1984 olympics. Retten’s medals made her Americas sweetheart. She made the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine and also was pictured on the Wheaties box, as well as tons of television shows. Her sports abilities and personality made her an icon in the field of womens athletics.
5. Peggy Fleming-Figure Skating-3 world titles and 5 straight national titles, as well as the United States only gold medal in the 1968 winter olympics. She established a new standard for artisic elegance on the ice. Along with being a breast cancer survivor, she was a wife, mother, broadcaster and author, just to name a few of her other accomplishments off the ice.
These 5 ladies are just a tip of the iceberg in the world of great women athletes. Every year more and more female athletes make their mark and deserve recognition in the highly competitive world of sports.
Sources: My personal preferences
www.SportsIllustratedforWomensSports.com
