Lausanne, Switzerland, March 10, 2021: Two Asian Olympic champions in highly contrasting summer and winter sports have been included in a list of seven female athletes to record historic “firsts” in the Olympic Games.
As part of their week-long International Women’s Day celebrations, the IOC’s Olympic Channel is featuring seven influential female athletes who were on top of their game at the right time.
The first is Kaori Icho, Japan’s wrestling champion at four straight Olympic Games from 2004 to 2016.
“Winning an Olympic gold medal is impressive. Winning four even more so. Winning four in a row at four different Games in individual events?” writes the Olympic Channel.
“Icho has done exactly that in the middleweight (three golds) and lightweight freestyle wrestling categories, beginning in Athens in 2004.
“Her triumph in Rio, having moved from 63 kg to the 58 kg class, made her the first woman in any sport to win gold medals in individual events at four consecutive Olympic Games.
“The only other women to have won golds at four Games in a row all did so with at least one of their gold medals coming in a doubles or team event.”
The second Asian athlete in the spotlight is Korea’s Kim Yuna – winner of the figure skating gold at Vancouver 2010 and silver at Sochi 2014 before retiring.
“Kim became the first figure skater from her country to win a medal when she won gold at Vancouver 2010,” says the Olympic Channel.
“Even before the Olympics, Kim was already wildly popular in South Korea, especially after her 2009 World Championships win.
“Kim skated the best routines of her life, setting scoring records that would stand for six years (free skate) to seven years (total score).
“She remains one of her country's highest-paid athletes, even in retirement, and was the final torchbearer, and Olympic cauldron lighter, at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
“Kim also stays involved with her sport, running the 'All That Skate' annual exhibition alongside her mother.”
Source: Olympic Channel
