In July and August, many people watched the spectacle of the 2024 Paris Olympics in excitement, anticipation, and wonder. It soon became apparent that female Olympians stole the show (and many medals). From famous female track runners to decorated gymnastics, wrestlers, and female swimmers – women took the stage, and the podium, and brought home gold, silver, and bronze – and empowering stories. Here are some of the most famous women athletes that compete today and who have a lasting legacy.
Female Olympians
Here are some incredible women Olympians who inspired us with their remarkable achievements and tenacity.
9 Female Olympians You Need to Know in 2024
1. Katie Ledecky
- Sport: Female Swimmer
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: American
Katie is the most decorated US female Olympian from the United States. She won the gold medal in the women’s 800m freestyle race at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, a decade after winning her first race at just 15 years old. She is tied with Russian athlete, Larisa Latynina, for the most gold medals won by a woman – making her one of the most famous female Olympians. And she shows no signs of stopping.
In an interview with Team USA, she says, “I’d love to [compete in LA]!” she said with a smile, still dripping from the pool. “I mean, we’ll see. It’s not easy. But again, I’ll take it year by year and give it everything I’ve got for as long as I have left in me.”
2. Julien Alfred
- Sport: Female Track Athlete and Sprinter
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: Saint Lucian
Julien Alfred is a remarkable woman olympian who has claimed the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Saint Lucia, a country with a population of around 180,000 people. The 100-meter dash is fast and fearless, making it one of the most high-profile and thrilling events to watch. Juilen experienced that thrill and made history in the process.
She told the Olympic Committee, “Growing up, I always said I wanted to be one of Saint Lucia’s first medalists … first gold medalists…”
3. Gabrielle Thomas
- Sport: Female Track Athlete
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: American
Gabrielle Thomas is an American athlete who won gold at the 200-meter race this year, with her top-end speed catapulting her over the finish line. On top of being a female Olympian, she is also the first Harvard women’s track alum to win gold, where she studied neurobiology and global health.
She told us, “I’m really in disbelief because having an Olympic gold medal is something in my wildest dreams,” she said. “But at the same time, I know how hard I’ve fought for it.”
4. Sky Brown
- Sport: Professional Skateboarder
- Medal: Bronze
- Nationality: British-Japanese
Sky Brown is a 16-year-old professional skater who won a bronze medal for Britain at the 2024 Olympics. She also secured a bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and this could have been a disappointment for her but after fighting for 6 months to compete after a severe knee injury and after dislocating her shoulder during the qualifiers, she showed immense bravery and resilience. And she isn’t slowing down.
In an interview with Independant, she says, “I want to go to LA and be a double Olympian in both surfing and skating. Every time I lose or every time I win I learn a lot every day. I can bring all of that knowledge with me.”
5. Keely Hodgkinson
- Sport: Middle-distance runner
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: British
The British record holder and female Olympic champion has finally claimed gold in the 800m final at the Paris Games. The 22-year-old broke her silver medal streak to claim gold. She owned the track to become Britain’s first female athlete to get gold in 8 years.
In an interview with the Independent, Keely says, “I’m so proud of myself, because I was looking at photos of myself yesterday, doing primary school cross-country league, and I just think she would be so happy that I’m here now in Paris, doing the Olympics, because it was a big dream of mine.”
6. Sarah Hildebrandt
- Sport: Freestyle Wrestler
- Medal: Bronze
- Nationality: American
Sarah Hildebrandt is a freestyle wrestler who won bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This time, she fought for and won gold. She now has gold and shares more about her uprising, saying after an injury she had to evaluate her dreams and ambitions – and came in more fiery than ever to get bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, and she keeps getting better. She is heavily invested in the never-ending process of growth, having cultivated a growth mindset.
7. Annette Echikunwoke
- Sport: Hammer Thrower
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: Nigerian-American
Annette Echikunwoke won the first silver medal for the United States in the women’s hammer. She came back after being disqualified from the 2020 Olympics while representing Nigeria. The Nigerian Olympic Committee had failed to arrange mandatory drug tests for her and 9 other athletes, automatically disqualifying the athletes from the event. She returned to the Olympics 3-years later to get silver, this time competing for the US.
In an interview with The Washington Post, she says, “I’m happy it’s happening now,” Echikunwoke said. “Everything happens for a reason, even if it’s bad or good or ugly. But this is beautiful.”
8. Simon Biles
- Sport: Artistic gymnastics
- Medal: Gold
- Nationality: American
Simon Biles has become the most decorated female gymnast and has become one of the most famous female Olympians. But, what makes her story remarkable is her career break and ability to bounce back – quite literally.
Simon Biles took a break for two years after the Tokyo Olympic Games, after experiencing the “twisties” which is a mental block that causes gymnasts to experience uncertainty and anxiety in the air. Since her return, she has become an advocate for work-life balance and mental health.
Biles said in an interview with CNBC, “I worked on myself a lot, I still do therapy weekly, and it’s just been so exciting to come out here and have the confidence I had before.”
9. Nada Hafez
- Sport: Sabre fencer
- Nationality: Egyptian
Nada Hafez was competing for two at the 2024 Paris Olympics as she was 6 and a half months pregnant. Women are pushing boundaries now, and the stigma around pregnancy is lifting, setting a new precedent for women around the world. She is not the first, Serena Williams won the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant with her first child.
In her Instagram post, she says, “My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional.”
How Many of the Olympians Were Female?
The 2024 Paris Olympics has been an exceptional year for women.
- The World Economic Forum reports that for the first time in history, women and men have equal placing in the Paris Olympics 2024 Games.
- In the United States, women athletes are set to win more medals than U.S. male athletes for the fourth year in a row.
- In Australia, so far two-thirds of their medals have been won by women.
And what’s more, is that women are no longer sticking to traditional “feminine sports” but are breaking boundaries and entering new arenas – like competing while pregnant.
Famous Female Olympians
Who is The Most Popular Female Athlete?
Serena Williams is still the most famous female athlete, having won 23 major titles in tennis for singles and 14 in women’s doubles. She is also a four-time Olympian whose grace, determination, and resilience make her celebrated around the world. She was present at the 2024 Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics to celebrate women in sport and female Olympians.
The second most popular female athlete is Simone Biles, being the most decorated female gymnast. Her record-breaking achievements, her inspiring journey, and her advocacy for mental health have made her an influential and revered female athlete.
Who is The Greatest Female Athlete Ever?
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered the most famous female athlete, having won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in the Heptathlon and long jump events. The now-retired female track athlete’s legacy lives on as one of the greatest all-around athletes in history with a still-standing record in the heptathlon.
Who is The Best Female Olympian?
Katie Ledecky is the most famous female olympian. She has 9 gold medals and 14 medals overall. She is the most decorated female Olympic swimmer of all time and the most decorated American female Olympian, having competed in 4 Olympic games.
Inspiring Female Athlete and Activist
Allyson Felix is also another exceptional woman and mompreneur who uses her platform to advocate for women’s issues like maternal health and girls’ empowerment. She is one of the most decorated U.S. track and field athletes in Olympic history.
Now, she is a female entrepreneur with her own female sneaker line and an activist, sponsoring sports programs in places like Uganda and Mozambique. She also advocates for pregnancy-related trauma and challenges that countless women face, especially women of color. She set up the first Olympic Village Nursery at the Paris Olympics 2024 for Female Olympians.
Recommended Reading: 50 Mompreneur Quotes: Find All The Inspiration You Need In One Place
What The 2024 Paris Olympics Means for Women’s Sports
- We experienced more equality in participation than ever before
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) increased the number of women who have decision-making power by 100% in 2023.
- Deloitte predicts that the women’s sport’s revenue will surpass 1 billion.
- Sponsorship and paid media from female athletes are soaring with come companies pledging to support women and men equally.
- More women’s sports will be broadcast on major channels, and during peak hours.
- Celebrities continue to endorse female athletes, and many female Olympians have become micro and macro influencers themselves, extending their reach and inspiring countless other women
From The Podium to the Boardroom
Could the Paris 2024 Olympics set the stage for more gender equality in the future? Could we go from dominating the podium to taking up space in boardrooms and enticing a flurry of female founders? We still have some way to go, but there is a lot we can learn from these exceptional female Olympians, and how we can strive for equality.
- Resilience and boldness are key as we can see from fencer, Nada Hafez, and young skateboarder, Sky Brown.
- Mental health, sustainability, and balance matter as shown by famous female olympian, Simon Biles.
- Work ethic and optimism are vital which fencer, Sarah Hildebrandt, and decorated swimmer, Katie Ledecky, embodied.
- Strive for equal decision-making powers in the workplace as can be seen in the Olympic committee.
- More female entrepreneurs should endorse and promote others, as we can see through famous female athlete, Serena Williams.
The momentum of women’s sports right now and female athletes’ transparency about their journey as well as sheer grit is really powerful.
We can’t wait to see how this contagious movement will spread, and how it could stretch into all areas of women’s life.
Recommended Reading: The World’s Most Successful Women in Business And Their Net Worth
