top of page
Alyssa Klauminzer

Women Who Made History at the Olympics


Julien Alfred, courtesy of NPR


The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics made history as the first Olympics to achieve gender equality. The women who were a part of this history also made history themselves.


Here is a sport-by-sport list of women who made history at the Olympics.


Archery

Lisa Barbelin, courtesy of World Archery


Lisa Barbelin became the first woman from France to win an individual medal in archery at the Olympics, winning the bronze in her home country.


Artistic Gymnastics

Simone Biles and Suni Lee, courtesy of People


The United States won its fourth medal in the team final. Also on the podium were Italy, winning its first team medal in 96 years, and Brazil, winning its first ever women’s gymnastics team medal in the Olympics.


Simone Biles became the third woman, the first from the USA, to win two Olympic all-around titles. Silver medalist Rebeca Andrade from Brazil, who became the most decorated Brazilian Olympian, and bronze medalist Suni Lee also won their second Olympic all-around medals, creating the first podium in this event to feature all returning medalists. 


Biles competed the Biles II on vault to secure her second gold medal on vault. With Jade Carey winning bronze, they became the first pair of American gymnasts to medal on vault in the same Olympics.


Kaylia Nemour won not just Algeria’s first gymnastics medal, but the first medal for any African nation in gymnastics, with her gold medal on the uneven bars. Alice D’Amato of Italy won her nation’s first women’s artistic gymnastics gold medal with her balance beam performance.


With an ongoing situation involving the bronze medal on the floor exercise, I want to give recognition to both Jordan Chiles and Ana Bǎrbosu for their amazing routines and the pride they have brought to both of their nations.


For an in depth look at the team and all-around finals, check out my articles on them.


Artistic Swimming

Team USA, courtesy of NBC Sports Boston


With the silver medal in the team event, the United States won its first artistic swimming medal in 20 years. In the duet event, silver medalists Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe of Great Britain, and bronze medalist twins Bregje and Noortje de Brouwer of the Netherlands, won their countries’ first medals in artistic swimming.


Athletics

Alysha Newman, Nina Kennedy, and Katie Moon, courtesy of Yahoo Sport Australia


Julien Alfred won Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal with her gold in the 100m sprint. In the 400m, Marileidy Paulino became the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win a gold medal. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won her third straight Olympic gold medal in the 1500m. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the gold in the marathon and bronze in the 5000m and 10,000m, becoming the only woman to win an Olympic medal in all three events.


After winning her second Olympic medal, the bronze in the 100m hurdles, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn became the first athlete from Puerto Rico to have multiple Olympic medals. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her second gold medal in the 400m hurdles, setting yet another world record at 50.37 seconds.


Yaroslava Mahuchikh won Ukraine’s first gold medal in women’s high jump. Nina Kennedy won Australia’s first gold medal in women’s pole vault, while Katie Moon became the first American woman to win multiple pole vault medals with her silver, and Alysha Newman became the first Canadian woman to medal in pole vault with the bronze. Thea LaFond of Dominica won her nation’s first ever medal with her gold in the triple jump. Jasmine Moore became the first American woman to win Olympic medals in both the long jump and triple jump, bringing home the bronze in both events.


Camryn Rogers won Canada’s first gold medal in the hammer throw, and became Canada’s first woman to win a track and field gold medal in 96 years. Annette Echikunwoke won silver in the hammer throw, becoming the first American woman to win a medal in the event. Haruka Kitaguchi won Japan’s first medal in the javelin with the gold.


Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium won her third Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon. 


Basketball

Courtesy of The New York Times


The United States women’s basketball team won its 8th straight gold medal! Seeing the team in front of the home crowd in 2028 cannot come soon enough!


Boxing

Imane Khelif, courtesy of NBC New York


Imane Khelif, after facing baseless online harassment and discrimination, came out on top as she won the gold in the welterweight class. She became the first Algerian woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing.


Atheyna Bylon became the first woman from Panama to win an Olympic medal when she won the silver in the middleweight division.


Breaking

Nicka, Ami, and 671, courtesy of Forbes


Ami Yuasa of Japan, Dominika “Nicka” Banevič of Lithuania, and Liu “671” Qingyi became the first Olympic medalists in breaking.


Equestrian

Isabell Werth, courtesy of MSN


Isabell Werth won her 13th and 14th Olympic medals with Germany’s gold in the team dressage and her silver in the individual dressage.


Fencing

Jacqueline Dubrovich, Maia Weintraub, Lauren Scruggs, and Lee Kiefer, courtesy of Team USA


Vivian Kong became the first woman from Hong Kong to win a medal in fencing with her gold in the individual épée. The team of Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, and Maia Weintraub won the United States’ first team gold in the team foil. Japan won its first women’s fencing medals with the bronze in both the team foil and team sabre.


Football

Courtesy of US Soccer


The United States is back on top, winning its first gold medal in women’s football in 12 years!


Golf

Lydia Ko, courtesy of Golf Magazine


Lydia Ko won New Zealand’s first gold medal in golf. Ko previously won bronze in 2020 and silver in 2016.


Judo

Diyora Keldiyorova, courtesy of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan


Judo had Olympic firsts for several nations.


In the half-lightweight class, Diyora Keldiyorova became the first woman from Uzbekistan to win a gold medal in the Summer Olympics. Christa Deguchi, in the lightweight class, became the first Canadian to win a gold medal in judo. Prisca Awiti Alcaraz won Mexico’s first judo medal with her silver in the half-middleweight class. 


Modern Pentathlon

Michelle Gulyás, courtesy of Olympics.com


Michelle Gulyás of Hungary won gold and set a world record in the modern pentathlon at 1461 points. Seong Seung-min became the first South Korean woman to win a medal in the modern pentathlon, bringing home the bronze.


Rhythmic Gymnastics

Darja Varfolomeev, courtesy of Yahoo Sports


Darja Varfolomeev won Germany’s first gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics. Sofia Raffaeli, winning bronze in the individual all-around, won Italy’s first individual Olympic medal in rhythmic gymnastics. In the team event, China won its first Olympic rhythmic gymnastics gold medal. 


Rugby Sevens

Courtesy of NPR


The United States won its first Olympic medal in the rugby sevens, winning the bronze medal over Australia.


Shooting

Francisca Crovetto, courtesy of Panam Sports


The winner of the skeet event, Francisca Crovetto of Chile, became the first woman from her nation to win gold. Adriana Ruano won the gold in the trap event, which was the first gold medal for Guatemala. Manu Bhaker of India won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol and individual and mixed team events, becoming the first woman from India to win two medals in one Olympics. 


Skateboarding

Arisa Trew, courtesy of People


Winning gold in the women’s park event, 14-year-old Arisa Trew became the first Australian woman to win a medal in skateboarding. 


Sport Climbing

Janja Garnbret, courtesy of Olympics.com


Aleksandra Mirosław of Poland, Deng Lijuan of China, and Aleksandra Kałucka became the first medalists in the women’s speed event. In the women’s combined event, Janja Garnbret of Slovenia defended her gold medal, Brooke Raboutou won the first women’s climbing medal for the United States, and Jessica Pilz won the first women’s climbing medal for Austria.


Surfing

Tatiana Weston-Webb, Caroline Marks, and Johanne Defay, courtesy of Surfer


Caroline Marks defended the USA’s title in women’s surfing. Silver medalist Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil and Johanne Defay of France won the first women’s surfing medals for their countries.


Swimming

Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske, courtesy of Olympics.com


Swimming was a showdown between the United States and Australia. The United States women won 18 medals (5 gold) and the Australian women won 11 medals (6 gold). 


The United States women’s 4x100m medley relay of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske won gold and broke the world record, setting it at 3:49.63. In the race, Smith set a new Olympic record in the 100m backstroke at 57.28 seconds.


Katie Ledecky, becoming the most decorated woman Olympian from the United States, broke the Olympic record in her signature 1500m freestyle (a record previously held by herself). Other women who became Olympic record holders this Olympics are the USA’s Gretchen Walsh in the 100m butterfly, Canada’s Summer McIntosh in the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan in the 200m freestyle, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown in the 100m and 200m backstroke, Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström in the 50m freestyle, and the Australian 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relay teams.


Taekwondo

Althéa Laurin, courtesy of Olympics.com


Viviana Márton of Hungary and Althéa Laurin of France won their nations’ first taekwondo medals with their golds in the middleweight class and heavyweight class respectively. 


Tennis

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, courtesy of Reuters


Zheng Qinwen became the first athlete from China, and any Asian nation, to win a gold medal in singles. Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won Italy’s first medal, the gold, in doubles. Errani also became the seventh woman to complete the career Golden Slam (winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, and an Olympic gold medal).


Trampoline

Bryony Page, courtesy of The Independent


Bryony Page, who already had silver and bronze medals under her belt, became the Olympic champion this year. She became Great Britain’s first gold medalist in trampolining and the first British woman to win an individual gold medal in any gymnastics discipline.


Triathlon

Cassandre Beaugrand, courtesy of Le Monde


Cassandre Beaugrand won France’s first gold medal in the triathlon in her home city of Paris.


Volleyball

Courtesy of AP


Italy won its first medal, the gold, in the volleyball tournament, beating the reigning gold medalist, the United States, to do so. In beach volleyball, Ana Patrícia Ramos and Duda Lisboa won Brazil’s first gold medal in the event in 28 years. Canada’s duo of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson won their nation’s first medal in the women’s event, winning silver.


Water Polo

Courtesy of AP


Spain won its first gold medal in women’s water polo.


Weightlifting

Solfrid Koanda, courtesy of Olympics.com


Solfrid Koanda, the gold medalist in the 81 kg class, became the first woman from Norway to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting. 


Wrestling

Anastasia Nichita, courtesy of Adevarul


Anastasia Nichita became the first woman to win an Olympic medal for Moldova, winning the silver in the 57 kg class. Yusneylys Guzmán, the silver medalist in the 50 kg class, and Milaimys Marin, the bronze medalist in the 76 kg class, became the first women’s wrestling medalists for Cuba. With her silver medal in the women’s 53 kg class, Lucía Yépez won Ecuador’s first medal in wrestling. Grace Bullen, winning the bronze medal in the 62 kg class, won Norway’s first medal in women’s wrestling. 


So much history was made at this Olympics and it is so amazing to see so many women be a part of it.


Tune in to the Paralympics, streaming on Peacock, beginning August 28.


Edited by Giana Robertaccio

Comments

Couldn’t Load Comments
It looks like there was a technical problem. Try reconnecting or refreshing the page.
bottom of page