Women to Watch this Olympics
Every four years the world watches as groups of the greatest athletes gather to compete. Who will be the fastest? The Strongest? The most acrobatic? And though this year's games have had their share of controversy we'll still have the opportunity to gather around and tune in as the athleticism unfolds in Tokyo.
We all have our favorite competitors and sports, and there are so many talented athletes. Here are a few women we're keeping our eyes on during the games.
Hannah Aspden
Paralympic Swimming
Aspden, 21, is a two-time Paralympic medalist, and was the youngest Team USA swimmer to earn a medal at either the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Rio
Femita Ayanbeku
Paralympic Track and Field
Ayanbeku is a graduate, Founder of non-profit organization Limb-it-less Creations Incorporated, and 2016 US gold national medalist for 100M after just 6 months of training.
Simone Biles
Gymnastics
Biles owns the most world medals in U.S. history (14) and the most world championships gold medals of any female gymnast (10)
Allyson Felix
Track & Field
Felix is the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic gold medals, and is tied with Merlene Ottey as the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history, with a total of nine Olympic medals
Laurel Hubbard
Weight Lifting
Hubbard is a New Zealand weightlifter selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics, she will be the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympic Games.
Lilly King
Swimming
King is the winner of two gold medals and the current world record holder in the 100 meter. This year she'll be competing in two individual events. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won the gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke competition and also won a gold medal in the women's 4 × 100 m medley relay, in which she swam the breaststroke leg.
Sunisa Lee
Gymnastics
Lee was a member of the team that won gold at the 2019 World Championships, where she also won silver on the floor exercise and bronze on the uneven bars.
Simone Manuel
Swimming
Manuel is specializes in sprint freestyle. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won two gold and two silver medals: gold in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter medley, and silver in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Oksana Masters
Paralympic Cycling
Four-time Paralympian (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018); Eight-time Paralympic medalist (2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze). She was nominated for an ESPY in 2015 and 2016 in the Best Female Athlete with a Disability category. She received the Metro Disability Coalition Spotlight Award in 2002 and 2007.
Naomi Osaka
Tennis
By Tpn/Getty Images
Osaka has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. She is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and is the reigning champion at the US Open and the Australian Open
Deja Young
Paralympic Track + Field
One-time Paralympian (2016); Two-time medalist (2 gold), Young was born with brachial plexus that caused nerve damage and limited mobility to her right shoulder, Young has excelled with her unique running form.