Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Wilma Rudolph

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Track & Field
Statistics: 1 100 m Olympic Gold Medal (1960)
1 200 m Olympic Gold Medal (1960)
1 4x100 m Relay Olympic Gold Medal (1960)
1 4x100 m Relay Olympic Bronze Medal (1956)
Member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
Member of the IAAF Hall of Fame
What Wilma Rudolph had to overcome to be a successful athlete was staggering.

As a child, Rudolph suffered from pneumonia, scarlet fever, infantile paralysis, and polio. She had a leg brace and orthopedic shoes. This is not the typical start of a great athlete, but it turned out to be just that.

Rudolph recovered from all of those illnesses and became stronger because of it. Playing basketball in high school, Rudolph was recruited by the track team, and she proved to be a natural sprinter. At 16, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team for the 1956 Games in the 200 m. She didn't win but was placed on the 100 m relay team, securing a Bronze.

Four years later, Rudolph, now a sophomore at Tennessee State, again made the Olympics, but she was now an elite competitor. Rudolph was dominant, winning Gold in the 100 m, 200 m, and 4x100 m relay. Her performance at the Rome Games made Rudolph a household name in the United States, and she was arguably the first female African-American athlete to be nationally revered. Rudolph also played a large part in inspiring women of all colors to compete and excel in track and sports.

We are proud to nominate Wilma Rudolph for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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