The Most Iconic Black Women Athletes Of All Time

The 2024 Paris Olympics proved that women are dominating athletes. Stars like Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Annette Echikunwoke, and many others had history-making accomplishments that signaled significant shifts in support of female athletes, particularly for Black competitors. 

Here’s more about some of the most iconic Black women athletes of all time and their unparalleled effects on their respective sports, as well as athletics overall:

Serena Williams

Arguably one of the greatest tennis players and athletes of all time, Serena Williams‘ contributions to the sport and athletics in general are undeniable. The 43-year-old’s list of accolades is long — 23 Grand Slam wins, her last one earned while she was pregnant; four Olympic gold medals; having her version of an EGOT (The Serena Slam, awarded to tennis players who win the game’s four major championships: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open). Calling Williams a tour de force is an understatement. 

Venus Williams

It’s a rarity for siblings to pick the same career, let alone dominate it to global recognition. Like her sister Serena, Venus Williams‘ tennis prowess is legendary. A former No. 1 player in both singles and doubles, Venus has won seven Grand Slam titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles with Serena, and 2 Grand Slams mixed, not to mention 49 Women’s Tennis Association singles titles and 22 doubles titles. Alongside Serena, Venus was instrumental in helping pave the way for Black female athletes. 

Simone Biles

At this point, especially after her triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the words “gymnastics” and “Simone Biles” are synonymous. The 27-year-old has 41 world and Olympic medals and is the only gymnast with two all-around titles earned in nonconsecutive Olympics. Following the Paris Games, Biles became the most decorated American gymnast of all time, a title she’s likely to keep for quite some time. 

Florence Griffith Joyner

It was hard not to notice American runner Florence Griffith Joyner, best known on the track by her nickname Flo-Jo. Her long acrylic nails, brightly-colored ensembles and incredible speed quickly made her an athlete to watch in the late 1980s. Though her life was sadly cut short in 1998, her legacy is cemented in track and field history, setting the women’s world record for the 100m and 200m sprint (a record she maintains today) in 1988, among other extraordinary accomplishments. 

Allyson Felix 

Running in Flo-Jo’s footsteps, Allyson Felix’s record-breaking track and field career will likely be studied for years. The 38-year-old is the most decorated track and field athlete in history, winning a record-setting 20 World Championship medals and 11 medals at the Olympic Games. Though she retired from the sport in 2022, her next chapter will undoubtedly be as history-making. 

Sheryl Swoopes 

The WNBA hasn’t always received its flowers, but thankfully that’s changing, partly thanks to Sheryl Swoopes. A decorated basketball player, the now 53-year-old former Houston Comet is a a four-time WNBA champion and three-time WNBA MVP. She has three Olympic gold medals, which she won at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Games. Swoopes walked so ballers like Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson could fly. 

Althea Gibson 

Golf wasn’t always considered a women’s sport until trailblazer Althea Gibson proved that could not be further from the truth. Gibson started her career as a tennis star, becoming the first Black woman to win multiple major titles, including the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, in 1957. After acquiring several more tennis accolades (not to mention a successful jazz singing career), she moved to golf, becoming the first Black golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1963. Though she did not win awards as a golf player, her presence in those spaces, especially amid the Civil Rights Movement, was significant. 

Lisa Leslie 

Lisa Leslie is a pillar of women’s basketball, advocating for women in the sport since the dawn of her career. As the face of the WNBA, she spearheaded gold medal-winning Team USA’s basketball team in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, making her the first team sport athlete to win four Olympic medals back-to-back. Before retiring in 2009, Leslie was the first player to get the regular season MVP award, the All-Star Game MVP and the playoff MVP, all in the same season. 

Simone Manuel 

At just 20-years-old, American swimmer Simone Manuel made a memorable Olympic debut in 2016, winning a gold medal in the 100m free and 4x100m medley events and two silver medals in the 50m free and 4x100m free events. Since then, her accomplishments have only increased. The swimmer has 11 gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals, and 16 World Championships. 

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s determination and positive attitude fostered an illustrious career in track and field, during which she competed in four Olympic Games, winning three medals in both the heptathlon and long jump events in the 1980s and ’90s. Her brother, Al Joyner, made history too — he became the first African American in 80 years to win a gold medal in the triple jump at the 1984 Olympic Games, breaking barriers and defying odds alongside his sister. 

Gabby Douglas

Among this generation of gymnast stars, Gabby Douglas is a standout. She captured fans’ attention at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she helped Team USA win its first gold medal in two decades and earned the all-around crown, becoming the first Black athlete to do so. Douglas helped Team USA continue its hot streak at the 2016 Games, earning another gold. While she did not compete at the 2024 Paris Games following an injury, she told The Guardian she hopes to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone‘s showstopping 2024 Paris Olympics performance saw not just her win two gold medals but also the defeat of her world record in the 400-meter hurdles with a run of 50.37 seconds. It was the sixth time she broke that record, an achievement written on the wall for some time — her first Olympics in 2016 saw the then-high school sophomore win two gold medals. 

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