The Olympics Is A Site Of Black Excellence For These Athletic Women

The Olympics have long been a site of Black athletic excellence for women who compete and raise the bar in a plethora of sports. Over many years, this band of women have been record-breakers, advocates and influential trendsetters to other athletes and women beyond the sporting industry. MADAMENOIRE takes a look at these current greats and ones from yesteryear.

Sprinting is an elite track and field event especially in the black community. America and our Jamaican cousins own this lane. America is not always the most dominant of the two countries, but holds its own and wins its fair share. The women highlighted here are both prolific veterans in their own right. Both Allyson Felix and Florence Griffith Joyner have made long-lasting impressions on the sport.

Allyson Felix

2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials - Day 8

Source: Patrick Smith / Getty

Allyson Felix is a nine-time Olympic Medalist. She earned her first medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Felix has medaled in every Olympic competition since.

She won gold in the 200m during the 2012 Olympics. The master sprinter took home five gold medals as a member of relay teams: three 4x400m titles (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016), and two 4x100m (London 2012, Rio 2016), according to Olympics.com. No other woman in track and field is as decorated as Felix. In 2018, the then 35-year-old gave birth to her first child, the pregnancy was difficult, as Felix developed preeclampsia which led to her having an emergency c-section at 32 weeks. The taxing pregnancy left Felix unable to bounce back immediately. This led to a clash with her Nike sponsor. The working relationship between Felix and Nike came to a head in her 2019 New York Times Op-Ed. Felix revealed that she was offered a salary decrease after becoming a mother and was not given pay protection for lower performance in the months following the birth of her daughter. Felix believes these practices penalize women athletes for embracing motherhood. She ended her partnership with Nike, opting to work with Althea, GAP’s athletic-wear brand. Felix has become an outspoken advocate for mother-athletes. After Felix qualified for the 400m sprints with a time of 50.02 seconds, she shared a celebratory moment with her daughter Camryn and discussed what it took to get her to that place:

“It has been a fight to get here, and one thing I know how to do is fight, so I just wanted to do that all the way home,” Felix told NBC after the race. “Today I thought about all the things. I thought about us fighting in the NICU, fighting for my life, fighting to get on this track.”

Florence “Flo Jo” Griffith-Joyner

Tony Duffy

Reigning 100m sprint record holder Florence “Flo Jo” Griffith-Joyner is no longer with us but her legacy looms large. Not only is she the fastest woman to ever run the 100m at 10.49 seconds, she is also the flyest. Flo Jo’s name is synonymous with flash, flair and femininity—long black hair, long colorful acrylic nails and custom designed one leg tracksuits were her calling card. Flo Jo began her career as an average runner. After her record setting run Flo Jo remained consistent running in the 10.50 – 10.60 range according to her sister in law and fellow Olympian, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Many tried to discredit Flo Jo’s greatness, suggesting she used performance enhancing drugs but those suggestions have been thoroughly refuted. Griffith-Joyner’s record stands to this day. Her shadow looms large over new sprinters — many admit Flo Jo’s record was unreachable until Jamaica’s own Elaine Thompson-Herah did so during the Tokyo Olympics on July 31

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Soccer—or Football as it is known outside America—is the most famous sport in the world. Beginning in Europe, the Football association was created in London, England 1863. However, Soccer did not become a women’s Olympic event until Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics. Both veteran and newbie highlighted below have made waves since the addition of the sport only 25 years ago.

Crystal Dunn

USA v Canada: Women's Football Semifinal - Olympics: Day 10

Source: Atsushi Tomura / Getty

Crystal Dunn is on her second Olympic event. Her first appearance was in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Dunn has yet to win an Olympic medal as a part of Team USA soccer. Ranked by ESPN as the 6th best active footballer in the world. Dunn’s ranking may be high but her path has not reflected as much. Dunn has been vocal about the disparities she faces as a Black woman who does not fit the European beauty standards common in women footballers. Dunn believes she does not get the same level of care when it comes to promotion, as a kinky-haired, brown-skinned woman. Dunn has expressed difficulty being styled for photoshoots. Her hair and skin requires a knowledgeable stylist, photographer, and editor — which she rarely sees in those spaces. This is just one of the things that affect Dunn’s upward progression when courting sponsorship. Other players have found sponsorships that are reflective of what they bring to the table as athletes—players who, according to the rankings, are not as talented. Dunn has stated: “I feel like someone has dimmed my light in a sense”

Dunn notes the reasons for these feelings come from what she sees as a discernible difference in how photo shoots are approached and sponsorship deals are negotiated.

Briana Scurry

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As starting goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national soccer team in 1994, Briana Scurry is one of the first Black soccer players to represent Team USA. Scurry’s breakout on the Olympic stage came during Atlanta’s 1996 games. With the help of Scurry, Team USA beat China and brought home the gold, according to her official website. Her performance opened the door for women like Crystal Dunn. In 2004, Scurry along with the other members of the 1996 USA soccer team were inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. In recent years, Scurry has become an advocate for concussion awareness. Scurry suffered a devastating concussion in 2010 that impaired her severely. Scurry found day-to-day tasks difficult and as a result plunged into deep depression. She has since fully recovered and is currently a public speaker and advocate.

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The Paralympics are set to start Aug. 24, 2021. Remarkable Paryalympians will test their skill against each other in all sports. The next two women are stars in the Track and Field events. Both gold medalists in their respective sports Deja Young is a one time Paralymian in search of her second gold medal while April Holmes a veteran Paralympian chasing her fourth.

Deja Young

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Deja Young is a one-time Olympian. Competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Young earned gold in the 100m and 200m sprints. Young has been active in the years following her Olympic win. Team USA website lists two major 2019 wins in the World Championship – gold (200m), silver (100m). She will return to the Olympic field in hopes of regaining her title.

Off the track, Young is using her platform and voice to discuss mental health awareness. Young was injured by a birthing accident. Her shoulder was injured as it collided with her mother’s pelvic bone resulting in a type of nerve damage called a brachial plexus. Young overcame her disability and began running track in highschool, earning a scholarship to Wichita State University. It was there, Young experienced her first serious bout with depression. While in college and training for the Olympics Young experienced isolation and attempted to take her own life. Young has been an avid mental health advocate ever since:

“It’s a very loud world and sometimes your voice gets drowned out by so many different things and you need to be re-centered sometimes by hearing you’re enough and you are heard,” she said.

Young hopes to carry this message to the 2021 Olympic podium.

April Holmes

Source: Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc / Getty

April Holmes competed in track and field as an able-bodied athlete through her entire college career at Norfolk State University. An accident resulted in the amputation of her left leg below the knee. Holmes expressed her concerns about the ability to compete with her doctor, who gave her information about Paralympic sports.

April took the information and ran with it. She now holds Gold medals in the paralympic long jump. To date, Holmes has earned medals for Team USA in the London 2012 Paralympic Games (bronze 100m), Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (gold 100m) and Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (bronze, long jump).

Holmes has written two books, her first co-authored with Brian Tracy, The Winning Way and the other titled, Stop Limping Thru Life, Start Running. Young has also worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on the “Let’s Move” Campaign. You can see Holmes compete as a four-time Paralympian beginning August 24.

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