The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan [119]
1900
Summer Games: Paris, France
The first modern Games to include female competitors. Helen de Pourtales of Switzerland (Yachting), Elvira Guerra of France (Equestrianism), Mme Ohnier and Madame Depres of France (Croquet), Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain (Tennis), Margaret Abbott of the United States (Golf), and Madame Maison of France (Ballooning) are the first women to compete in the modern Olympics. Golfer Margaret Abbott is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
1904
Summer Games: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Lydia Scott Howell wins the first gold medal in archery, an unofficial Olympic sport at these games. Women’s boxing is included for the first time as an exhibition sport.
1906
Summer Games: Athens, Greece
Danish women take part in a gymnastics demonstration; it won’t be until 1928 that women’s gymnastics becomes an official Olympic sport.
1908
Summer Games: London, England
Figure skater Madge Syers of Britain becomes the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for skating. (In 1902, she entered the men’s world championships, since there was no world competition for women. She took second place.)
1912
Summer Games: Stockholm, Sweden
Australian Fanny Durak wins the first Olympic swimming gold medal awarded to women in the 100-meter freestyle. Highboard diving for women is also included for the first time. A fifteen-yearold British schoolgirl enters the modern pentathlon, but her entry is rejected: the event is men only. (It won’t be until 2000 that women are allowed to compete in the event.)
1924
Summer Games: Paris, France; Winter Games: Chamonix, France
During the summer games, fourteen-year-old Aileen Riggin becomes the first woman in Olympic history to win medals in both diving and swimming in the same Olympic Games. Tennis player Helen Willis becomes the first woman to win a gold medal for singles and doubles. Women’s fencing is contested for the first time, with one event: the individual foil. Figure skating is the only Winter sport open to women. This Olympics marks the first time more than 100 women competed in the games.
1928
Summer Games: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Winter Games: St. Moritz, Switzerland
Women are allowed to compete in track and field events for the first time, and American Elizabeth Robinson becomes the first female gold medalist in a track and field event in Olympic history, winning the 100-meter dash. Women also compete in gymnastics for the first time, and the Netherlands team wins the gold.
1932
Summer Games: Los Angeles, California, United States; Winter Games: Lake Placid, New York, United States
Track stars Louise Stokes and Tydia Pickett become the first black female competitors in the Olympics Games.
1936
Summer Games: Berlin, Germany; Winter Games: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Dorothy Poynton becomes the first woman to win the high dive event in successive Olympic Games, winning the gold medal in 1932 and 1936. Thirteen-year-old diver Marjorie Gestering becomes the youngest Olympic gold medalist ever when she wins the springboard event.
1948
Summer Games: London, England; Winter Games: St. Moritz, Switzerland
Vicki Draves is the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal, and also the first woman to win both the springboard and high-dive in the same Olympic Games. Alice Coachman wins the high-jump, becoming the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Her teammate Audrey (Mickey) Patterson becomes the first black woman to win a medal, finishing third in the 200-meter run; she was awarded her bronze medal just before her teammate Coachman won the gold. In the Winter Games, Gretchen Fraser wins the slalom and becomes the first U.S. skier to win an Olympic gold medal.
1952
Summer Games: Helsinki, Finland; Winter Games: Oslo, Norway
Women and men compete together for the first time in Olympic equestrian events. Women gymnasts compete in individual apparatus events for the first time, and Soviet Maria Gorokhovskaya