Women Of The 2016 Olympics | The Odyssey Online
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Women Of The 2016 Olympics

Who run the World? Girls.

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Women Of The 2016 Olympics
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Katie Ledecky. Simone Biles. Simone Manuel. Michelle Carter.

This year, the US (as of August 13th) has received a total of 61 Olympic Medals (24 Gold, 18 Silver, 17 Bronze), and the 1,000th medal for the US was won by the 4x100 Women's Relay in swimming. 292 American women (the highest number so far of female participants) have been setting records left and right, while simultaneously winning all the medals they can in their respective competitions.

1. Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel- Swimmers

Almost every time Katie Ledecky has swam in the Olympics, she has either gotten gold, or set a new record. From the Washington D.C. area, she started off in a swim club, and trained her way to the Olympics. She previously competed in the 2012 Olympics, where she received gold in the 800m freestyle, and again received gold in 4 events, including the latter, as well as beating World records. In the fall of 2016, Ledecky plans to swim at Stanford, like many other current and past Olympic swimmers.

Simone Manuel has just undergone her first Olympics, and she's truly made her mark on history. She swam to gold in both the 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley, while she received silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay and the 50m freestyle. In her two gold events, she not only tied with Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak, but also became the first African-American/ Black woman to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event. Going back to Stanford in the fall, she will most likely be setting even more records along with her teammate, Katie, in the pool.

2. Simone Biles & Aly Raisman- Rhythmic Gymnasts

Clearly, the Final Five have been making stride in the 2016 Olympics, especially Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. Biles, the presumed leader of the team, has so far received 3 gold and a bronze medal from her events so far in the Olympics, and has received praise from her fellow teammates, Olympic athletes, and celebrities all over the U.S. Though it is her first year on the team, she has clearly made her mark to the world that she is a force not to be reckoned with.

Returning from her previous reign with the Fierce Five at the 2012 London Olympics, Aly Raisman has again proven herself as a strong gymnast. As of August 15th, she has won both gold and silver in the All-Around and Floor Routines, and has shown to be a strong captain of her team as well. While more experienced than some of her fellow gymnasts, she really helps her team with her mentoring position as captain, and will surely finish off her Olympic events strongly.

3. Ibtihaj Muhammad- Fencer

After stirring up headlines earlier this year, Ibtihaj Muhammad is the first US woman to wear her hijab while competing in her Olympic sport. While competing in her respective event (sabre), she received bronze after losing to French fencer Cecilia Berder. Despite this, she is still ranked as the No. 2 fencer in the U.S., and No. 8 fencer internationally. She is also a representative for the U.S. Department of State's Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative, showing that as much of a respected athlete she is, she is also a humble and empowering mentor for female athletes all over the world.

4. Michelle Carter- Shotput (Athletics)


Michelle Carter, like many of these women on this list, has also set an amazing record: She is the first American (and African American) woman to ever win a gold medal in the shot-put event of Track and Field, as well as the current American record holder in shot-put. With her father also winning the silver medal in Olympic shot-put, they are currently the only father-daughter duo to have medals in the same event.

6. Still many more to come in these next few days...

And yet, there are still so many more Olympic events to come. Track and Field takes up most of the airtime along with basketball, and there are still so many teams and indiviuals to see improve over the next few weeks. Some of the athletes to watch include: Sydney McLaughlin (400m hurdles), Allyson Felix (400m), and even Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross, who are on to continue Walsh Jennings streak of gold medals in beach volleyball.

Though these women are all Olympians, here to represent their country, they are also helping ot represent their gender as well. While women are a huge minority internationally, especially represented by the restricting laws placed for women in different countries, some of which are participating in these sports, their participation in the Olympics is a form of inspiration for females of all ages worldwide, showing them that playing like a girl, or just being a girl, is just as amazing as anything else today.

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