The Olympics are held every four years for the world’s top athletes to come together and compete for medals in various sports categories. Only the best of the best get invited to the Olympic ceremony to show off their talents and prove they are absolutely the greatest in their league. If you haven’t noticed, some of these top notch athletes are Black women from across the globe. While we would like to highlight each and every single one of them, we have chose 3 very special young women to recognize. Scroll to read more!
Simone Biles needs no introduction. This stunning, talented young lady has gone above and beyond to show the world just how gifted she is at artistic gymnastics. She recently performed two new moves at her latest competition deemed so dangerous that no other woman has tried to execute it. Her track record speaks for itself. She currently holds the title for most World medals (25) and most World gold medals (19). Only being 24 years old, she has defeated some of the most challenging competitors. While her accolades are beyond impressive, Biles still faces issues at competitions by not being accurately scored. The judges at these competitions have constantly reduced Simone Biles’ points to make it more ‘fair’ to the other gymnast. Nevertheless, even with the inaccurate scoring Biles continues to show up and show out to take home 1st every time!
Naomi Osaka is fiercely taking over the world tennis court. While we appreciate legends such as Venus and Serena, it is no question that Naomi Osaka is a rising star set to dominate the sport. Being a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and the prevailing champion at the US Open and the Australian Open she shows no mercy on the court. While aggressive with the tennis racket, Osaka is a gentle soul. Soft spoken and introverted she certainly knows how to express her winner mindset through her passion of tennis. Some parts of the public can not understand her mellow personality. Recently, Osaka had declined to speak to the press during one of her tennis competitions. The public felt like she was being arrogant when in fact she was more concerned with her mental health throughout the competition and preferred to keep her focus on winning the upcoming matches. It’s unfortunate that people will not be able to accept all the external distractions that athletes are challenged with as they compete. But, Naomi Osaka has a whole community behind her that love and support her decisions to put her health before anything. True leaders lead from the front and don’t sacrifice their peace for publicity!
Allyson Felix is a real champion to say the least. She currently is a four-time Olympian and nine-time Olympic medalist (6 golds, 3 silvers). A track phenomenon and an amazing mother are a couple ways to describe Felix. This 35 year old is a seasoned veteran and a beast on the track. She is not shy of competition and has the resume to prove it. As marvelous as she is, Allyson Felix has hit some rough patches during her career. With a previous contract deal at Nike, Felix decided to continue this relationship and negotiate her renewal deal in 2018. While doing so, Felix also made the personal decision to experience the beauties of motherhood. During her pregnancy, she had to undergo an emergency C-Section. After the arrival of her gorgeous daughter, Felix wanted to ensure that she wouldn’t be punished if she did not perform as well as she had in previous years after coming fresh off maternity leave. Nike declined this and also decided they would pay her 70% less in her new contract. It’s very disturbing how women in any industry are shunned for starting a family while wanting to grow their careers. Felix has certainly became a trailblazer and vocal advocate for discrimination against women in sports. Even with the constant hurdles, Allyson Felix is still incredibly talented and has shown her resilience as she is set to compete in the 2021 Olympics!
Blessings and love to all the athletes competing in the Olympics this year. Luck is not needed for Biles, Osaka, and Felix because we all know these young, gifted Black women operate off pure skills and will come with nothing less to the competition!