Rudolph Defied the Odds and Won Three Olympic Gold Medals
In 1960, Wilma Rudolph made history after she became the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals in a single Olympic game.
In the Rome Olympic Games in 1960, Rudolph captured history as she broke multiple records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay while also collecting gold medals in each event. Her performance earned her the title of the fastest woman in the world as she was considered one of the greatest athletes in the 20th century.
In the 100m, she originally tied the world record of 11.3 seconds in the semifinals then punched her ticket to a gold medal and new world record as she won the finals by three yards with a time of 11.0 seconds. During her race in the 200m, Rudolph cracked the Olympic record after she ran 23.2 seconds in the opening heat then earned her second gold with a 24.0 second time in the finals. After setting the world record time of 44.4 seconds in the semifinals, Rudolph and her 4x100 relay team took the gold in 44.5 seconds to lead Rudolph to her legendary moment in sports history.
In order to attain her successful career in track and field, Rudolph had to defy the odds to get there. The Tennessee native suffered from polio when she was a child causing her to be bed ridden for most of her childhood because of her inability to walk. The doctors constantly reminded Rudolph that she would never be able to walk again, but her mom told her otherwise, which is what encouraged her to achieve her goals as an athlete.
Rudolph had the determination to walk again in order to be a “normal child” while having the support of her parents and her 21 siblings along the way. After they would often massage her immobile leg, Rudolph began to hop on one leg at the age of six and by the age of nine, she was out of her leg brace. Prior to becoming a track and field star, Rudolph portrayed her athletic ability on the basketball court starting at the age of 11 until high school.
Rudolph began running track and field while she was still in high school and practiced with Tennessee State at their daily college practices. From that moment on, Rudolph would go on to be one of the most legendary track and field athletes in history.
Following Rudolph’s success in the Olympic games, Rudolph won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 1961 and was later inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983. Rudolph started the Wilma Rudolph Foundation in order to train young track and field athletes and later became the head track coach at DePauw University. In 1990, Rudolph received the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Silver Anniversary Award and was the first woman to do so.
Rudolph will be the face of track and field forever because of her ability to fight the odds and become a renowned athlete. Along with her athleticism, Rudolph will always be remembered to be one of the most poised and graceful people on the track.
