For far too long, women’s sports were not given anywhere near the amount of attention they deserved, thankfully this is beginning to change. If events like the 2020 Olympics are anything to go by, 2021 appears to have marked an important shift. In fact, as an indication of this, SkySports recently dubbed 2021 the year of the female Olympian.
Some of this years’ greatest sporting moments have come from female athletes, which itself shows just how quickly the times are changing. While there is still a huge amount of work to be done in terms of achieving gender equality in sports, 2021 has shown us that this end goal is not that far off after all.
With that said, 2022 looks to be even better in terms of working towards gender parity in the coverage of men's and women’s sports. Even the betting world has caught onto elevated public interest, with there being a risk free bet promo to place on increasing numbers of women’s sporting events.
But who are some of the trailblazing female athletes who have graced our screens over the last year?
Allyson Felix
Although many of the best female athletes who made their mark this year are young upstarts just making a name for themselves, Allyson Felix bucks this trend by being one of the most seasoned female athletes still competing at the highest levels.
Allyson Felix is an American track and field athlete who has made a name for herself in the 100m, 200m and 400m races.
Although specializing in such a range of distances is itself a significant feat of athleticism, Felix takes this one step further and has managed to earn Olympic medals for all these distances. This includes a career total of 11 Olympic medals, with seven golds, three silvers and one bronze to her name.
Her most recent Olympic medals were achieved at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she managed to nab both gold and bronze medals in the 4x400m relay and 400m races, respectively.
Even more staggeringly, Felix achieved this feat at the age of 35, having competed at a grand total of five Olympic games — gaining a medal at each! This is in addition to being a mother to a young child. For all of these reasons, as well as her long-standing social justice work, Allyson Felix has rightfully earned her place as one of the best female athletes of 2021.
Naomi Osaka
As one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, tennis star Naomi Osaka certainly knows how to smash through the glass ceiling.
At just 24 years old, Osaka has already set the sporting world alight in recent years with a series of stunning career wins.
Although she has slipped in the rankings slightly this year due to pulling out of some high-profile tournaments, this has not hampered Osaka’s star power. In fact, by being so open and transparent about why she has taken some time off from the sport, Osaka has managed to move the dial forward in other ways, particularly through her advocacy for mental health.
Known for being an aggressive player on court with an unstoppable power serve, Osaka has built up a huge amount of brand power through her athletic prowess. Given how young she is, the tennis world looks set to be following her efforts for quite some time to come.
Simone Biles
If the world of gymnastics was a royal family, Simone Biles would most definitely be the queen. With a total of six medals to her name in just two Olympic games, Simone Biles is a dominant force.
Currently, Biles is the gymnast with the most World Championship medals at 25, and also holds the record for the most gold World Championship medals at 19.
These career performances have earned her a reputation as one of the most dominant gymnasts of all time. She also looks set to become the most decorated gymnastic Olympian as she progresses through her career.
Biles has also been making waves in the sporting world in other ways, with her high-profile withdrawal from the team event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While harshly criticized by some members of the press, she nevertheless drew widespread support for her decision to prioritize her mental and physical health.
