Who said sport was a man’s business? Certainly not Beside Sport and certainly not on Women’s Day!
Thus, we have decided to pay tribute to sportswomen who have done a lot for the condition of women thanks to their remarkable performances. Here is the selection of 10 sports that we are not about to forget.
SONJA HENIE (Figure Skating)
Sonja Henie is a Norwegian figure skater and actress, born in Oslo on April 8, 1912, died of leukemia on October 12, 1969 on a Paris-Oslo flight. She was three times Olympic champion; ten times world champion, a record that is still unbeaten today. After the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, she retired from the amateur world and began a professional career as a skater and actress. She performed mainly in the United States, but did triumphal galas in Norway in 1953 and 1955. In 1939, she published her autobiography, reprinted in a revised version in 1954. In 1941, she became an American citizen. She retired from the artistic world in 1958 with the film Hello, London. She became one of the richest women in the world of her time.
NADIA COMANECI (Gymnastics)
Nadia Elena Comaneci is a Romanian gymnast, born November 12, 1961 in Onești. She now has dual Romanian-American nationality. During her sports career, she notably won five gold medals at the Olympic Games, where she was the first gymnast to obtain the perfect score of 10. She is one of the most renowned gymnasts in the world and she has, with Olga Korbut, gave another popular and media dimension to this sport.
FLORENCE GRIFFITH-JOYNER (Athletics)
Florence Griffith-Joyner, born Delorez Florence Griffith on December 21, 1959 in Los Angeles and died on September 21, 1998 in Mission Viejo, California, was an American athlete. Since 1988, she has held the extraordinary world records for the 100 and 200 meters tainted by heavy suspicions of doping. The sprinter was also famous for her fluorescent bodysuits and her painted nails, six inches long.
MARIE-JOSÉ PEREC (Athletics)
Triple Olympic champion, Marie-Jo is the first athlete, men and women alike, to have won the title in the 400 meters at two consecutive Olympic Games. His exit from the road during the Sydney Games in 2000 will contribute to his legend.
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA (Tennis)
The Czechoslovakian tennis player, who became an American citizen in 1981 is undoubtedly the greatest tennis player so far. Billie Jean King would say of Navratilova in 2006 that “ She is the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who ever lived ”. At Beside Sport, we can only agree even if the German Steffi Graff is not far behind.
JEANNIE LONGO (Cycling)
Jeannie Longo is the most successful cyclist of all with 30 medals at the Olympic Games and world cycling championships, an Olympic title, thirteen world championships, three victories in the women’s Tour de France, 38 world records, and 1157 victories since his first license. A record of longevity not close to being exceeded or even equaled.
MERLENE OTTEY (Athletics)
Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican athlete naturalized in Slovenia in 2002, specializing in sprint events. She holds several records: that of the oldest medalist athlete (40 years old at the 2000 Olympic Games), of having run the fastest 200 m indoors in 21 s 87, and that of having obtained the most medals (14) at the world championships. These results and her longevity have earned her the nickname “Queen of the track”.
MARION JONES (Athletics)
Marion Jones had a great career in sprinting, winning many victories in the biggest events, before being convicted of doping. On October 5, 2007, she admitted having taken steroids at least from 1999, which cost her the 5 Olympic medals (3 gold, 2 bronze) acquired since that date, as well as her world championship medals. athletics 2001. On January 11, 2008, she was sentenced to six months in prison for perjury, having previously denied any involvement in the Balco affair. She began her sentence in a Texas prison on March 7, 2008.
LAURE MANAUDOU (Swimming)
The greatest French swimmer of all time, she is also one of the best swimmers swimming has ever had. From 2004 to 2007, Laure crushed everything in her path. Over this period, she won three Olympic medals, six world medals and thirteen European medals. Not to mention his many world records.
YELENA ISINBAYEVA (Athletics)
Nicknamed the Tsarina, Yelena is a Russian athlete, practicing the pole vault. Double Olympic champion, at the games of Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, she is also double world champion and European champion. She is the current world record holder in the women’s outdoor pole vault with 5.06 meters.
