These Women Athletes Are Championing At Rio Olympics

Sunday, August 14 2016, 02:45:22

Jayati Godhawat

JWB Blogger

These Women Athletes Are Championing At Rio Olympics

JWB Post

August 10, 2016

If one needs to see true woman power, watch Rio Olympics and you’ll know.

JWB celebrates the spirit of female athletes who are creating history at the biggest sports platform in the world.

Here’s a list of sportswomen who have deservingly earned their name in the games and the world:

Wu Minxia

Diving, China

On Sunday, Wu Minxia won a gold medal in the women’s 3 meters synchronized springboard along with her partner Shi Tingmao. And, she broke all the previous championship records for a female diver. Wu’s seventh Olympic medal has placed her on top of the rankings list regarding the number of medals bagged by a female diver. Also, she has won the most Olympic diving gold medals and became the oldest woman to win an Olympic diving gold medal.

*Claps*

Sarah Sjostrom

Swimming, Sweden

Sarah Sjostrom became the first Swedish woman to have won a gold medal in swimming. She also broke her own world record in the 100 metres butterfly. She broke her previous time record of 55.64 seconds and set a new world record of completing the race in 55.48 seconds.

Hidilyn Diaz

Weightlifting, Philippines

Hidilyn Diaz won silver in Women’s 53 kg weightlifting and brought Philippines their first Olympic medal in 20 years.

The 25-year-old, Diaz, also became the first Philippines woman to ever win an Olympic medal.

More power to you, Hidilyn!

Yusra Mardini

Swimming, Refugee Olympic Athletes

The 18- year-old, Yusra Mardini from Syria already made it to the headlines after she became one of the members of the first Olympic Refugee team in Rio de Janeiro.

Last year, Yusra swam for three hours in the Aegean Sea after the boat in which she was escaping from Syria to Europe broke down.

On Saturday, she won the first heat of the women’s 100m butterfly, but couldn’t qualify to compete in the semi-finals. But, her performance has been laudable, and JWB wishes her all the best for her future competitions in the Olympics.

You go, girl!

Majlinda Kelmendi

Judo, Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo made their debut in the Olympics with Rio 2016 games and Majlinda Kelmendi bagged her country its first medal, and that too, a gold one in the women’s 52kg final Judo.

“I have always wanted to show the world that Kosovo is not just a country that has gone through war,” Kelmendi said.

Rafaela Silva,

Women’s Judo

The Brazillian woman who rose from the slums of Rio in Cidade de Deus, won a gold medal in women’s Judo.

This is Brazil’s first Gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She had been battling with depression until 2013, and hence, went on to become the 2013 world champion in Judo.

Kudos!