Female strength in sport: women to cheer and accompany

The barriers placed against women in sport have been torn down. Athletes never tire of breaking records, proving every day how much they deserve to be honored. Among these women, there are those who stand out. See the selection below and understand the achievements of these women!

The importance of female presence in sport

Sport is a great tool in the development of children and adolescents. When a girl has the chance to see a woman excel in a certain sport, the example drives her to develop skills that, one day, can lead her to be like the idol.

Female representation in sport is very important so that all girls, without exception, can identify themselves and dream of being at the top of the podium.

Women stand out more and more in the sports environment, but gender equality in sports, a term that refers to the search for equal opportunities based on their differences, is still moving slowly.

One achievement was the approval of the bill, which rewards men and women equally in sports. But, on the other hand, the modalities practiced by women occupy only 4% of the media spaces.

In 2019, the women’s World Cup had its first broadcast on open TV and about 20 million Brazilians watched the broadcast of the final of the competition won by the US team. About a billion people watched the competition, according to a FIFA report.

It was in this context that skater Rayssal Leal was the most cited person on Twitter globally during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

10 women in sport you should watch

Find out more about the athletes who represent their countries in their sports and share their routines on their social networks:

1. Maria Carolina Gomes Santiago

Maria Carolina Gomes Santiago made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by climbing on five of the six podiums she played for. The 36-year-old Paralympic athlete won 3 gold medals, 2 silver and a bronze in the swimming events for the visually impaired.

Even with a late start as a professional athlete at age 27, Maria Carolina has always been passionate about the sport and wants to prepare even more for the Paris Games in 2024.

2. Rebeca Andrade

Gymnast Rebeca Andrade enchanted Brazil with her solo to the sound of Baile de Favela. With her beautiful performance, she won two medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

She was the first Brazilian to win an Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics and was also world champion in vaulting in the same year. At 22 years old, Rebeca promises to bring even more joy to Brazilian sport.

3. Rayssa Leal

The skater from Maranhão won her first Olympic medal at age 13 and was world runner-up twice in a row. To learn more about Rayssa Leal, read about the history and accomplishments of the skateboard fairy.

4. Beatriz Ferreira

Beatriz Ferreira, from Bahia, is one of the greatest representatives of Brazilian boxing. World champion in 2019, she was the second woman to win a Brazilian Olympic medal for boxing. Adriana Araújo won bronze at London 2012 and Beatriz won silver at Tokyo 2020. She was also world military champion in 2021.

5. Chloe Kim

The North American of South Korean origin has been collecting trophies and records since she was 13 years old, when she was runner-up in the superpipe, a snowboard category, at the Winter X Games. She is a six-time champion of the competition. At age 18, she won her first Olympic medal in the halfpipe class and repeated the feat in 2021, becoming the first woman to win two golds in that event.

6. Luisa Stefani

Luisa Stefani is the first Brazilian tennis player to reach the top 10 of the women’s tennis ranking in the Open Era. She won the first Brazilian Olympic medal in tennis alongside Laura Pigossi. Along with Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski, she won her first major title, the WTA 1000 in Montreal.

7. Yulimar Rojas

Yulimar Rojas’ achievements elevate her to the level of one of the greatest Venezuelan athletes in history.

The triple jump athlete was world champion in all editions between 2017 and 2022, in addition to Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 and breaking the world record that has been pending since 1995. Rojas is the first woman to win an Olympic gold representing Venezuela.

8. Elaine Thompson-Herah

The fastest woman in the world is Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah. Two-time Olympic champion in two categories, 100 and 200 m, Elaine is used to getting on the podium and often shares it with her compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

9. Carissa Moore

The five-time surfing champion won the sport’s first Olympic gold by defeating South African Bianca Buitendag. Carissa Moore was born in Hawaii and started surfing at age 5 with her father. In 2011, she became the youngest male and female athlete to conquer the world surfing circuit at age 18.

10. Irene Schouten

The most successful Dutchwoman in an edition of the Winter Olympic Games is speed skater Irene Schouten. Among her achievements are three gold medals and one bronze at Beijing 2022, in addition to the Olympic record in the 5000 m event.

Many women were left out of this select list, but nothing that prevents them from collecting more titles and attracting your attention. How about meeting the young tennis player Naomi Osaka who shines on and off the court?