Hope Solo
It's often said that to be successful, a woman has to do a man's job twice as hard. But for some of the female athletes we're looking at today, it wasn't enough to simply hold their own with the boys. Many set the bar twice as high and established records no woman or man has broken yet.
Today, female athletes are every bit as famous, iconic and accomplished as their male peers in each sport. We're taking a look at 25 of these legends, many of whom are still competing and setting records to this day.
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In women's soccer, few athletes are as iconic as Hope Solo. She holds several U.S.
Ronda Rousey
goalkeeper records, two Olympic gold medals, World Cup Championships, and numerous other accolades.
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Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey is an undeniably talented, albeit controversial, MMA athlete. Her meteoric rise is only matched by her catastrophic fall.
Holly Holm
Despite a record of 12-2-0, she has struggled to make a comeback.
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Of course, we'd be remiss to include Ronda Rousey without the athlete who handed Rowdy her first major defeat.
Kerri Walsh Jennings
With a record of 10-2-0, Holm became a household name in MMA circles practically overnight.
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Jennings is universally considered the face of U.S. beach volleyball with 133 victories and three Olympic gold medals to her name.
Gabby Douglas
She and her partner Misty May-Treanor are considered the best volleyball team of all time with Olympic victories in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
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At just 21, Gabby Douglas is one of the most accomplished gymnasts of all time.
Bonnie Blair
She holds several records and numerous Olympic gold medals, and her breakout success made her an icon in sports culture.
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Blair is regarded as one of the best speedskaters of all time with eight Olympic gold medals, four silver, and three bronze.
Steffi Graf
She retired in 1995, but her legacy continues to inspire and define the sport she made famous.
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Graf was No. 1 during her career and has set records that both men and women in tennis have not matched or broken.
Joan Benoit
She is the only tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam and the only player to win the Grand Slam four times.
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Benoit is a retired marathoner and the first Olympic gold medal winner of the women's marathon.
Wilma Rudolph
Her historic win earned her induction into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
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In the 50s, Rudolph put track and field on the map in the U.S. with three gold medals.
Simone Biles
Once considered the fastest woman in the world, Rudolph is also famous for her work in civil and women's rights.
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Though just 19 years old, Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, usurping Shannon Miller with 19 Olympic and World Championship medals.
Lindsey Vonn
Miller's record has stood since 1996.
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Vonn is one of only two female skiers to win four World Cup overall championships with consecutive titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Danica Patrick
Injuries have slowed her career lately, but she'll always have a place in sports history.
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Patrick is almost singularly responsible for bringing women's racing to the mainstream.
Peggy Fleming
She is a leader in her sport, holding several records and considered to be the most successful woman in racing of all time.
Martina Navratilova
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Fleming is a retired figure skater, but her popularity and talent have contributed to her staying power and iconic status decades after her 1968 Olympic championship.
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Navratilova set the standard for a successful career in women's tennis. She was No.
Serena Williams
1 and the only player to ever maintain the top spot in her sport (both singles and doubles) for more than 200 weeks. Now retired, she is still considered one of the greatest female tennis player of all time.
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Williams is another all-time tennis pro, holding records alongside other athletes like Steffi Graf. She achieved No.
Mia Hamm
1 status in singles six times between 2002 and 2013.
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Hamm holds numerous soccer accolades, and though subsequent athletes have challenged her records, she is still credited with bringing women's soccer to prominence.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Though she retired after the 2004 Athens Olympics, she is still a legend in the sport.
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Few female athletes enjoy the name recognition of Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who has inspired generations of track and field competitors.
Billie Jean King
She is one of the most famous female athletes of all time and has recently dedicated her iconic status to various philanthropic efforts.
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During her tennis career, King won 12 singles, 16 women's doubles and 11 mixed doubles for a grand total of 39 Grand Slam titles. She has since parlayed her No.
Maria Sharapova
1 status into advocacy for women's rights.
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Sharapova has had quite a unique run in women's tennis.
Nadia Comăneci
Despite several career-ending injuries, Sharapova holds records just behind the greats of her sport like Williams, Graf, Navratilova and Chris Evert.
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Comăneci wasn't merely satisfied to become the first gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect 10.0 score in the Olympics.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
She scored the perfect 10 six more times and has countless gold medals hanging on the wall at home.
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Zaharias was a multi-sport champion, having achieved prominence in track and field, basketball and women's golf.
Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino
Her career was cut short by cancer at the age of 45, though she was still competing (and winning) until her death in 1956.
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Justino is a UFC superstar with 17 wins to her name. Despite her storied and successful career, "Cyborg" has run into trouble a few times over substance violations.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk
Still, she's undeniably one of the sport's best.
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As of this writing, Jędrzejczyk is considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world.
Natalie Coughlin
With 13 wins and 0 losses, Jędrzejczyk is a sports leader and just getting started.
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Coughlin is a highly decorated female swimmer, with 12 Olympic gold medals to her name.
She holds records alongside other luminaries like Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres and has won numerous recognitions during her career.
