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Women in the Olympics: A History of Firsts

With the Winter Olympic Games in full swing, we take a look back at 12 amazing feats and firsts from fabulous female athletes (13 Photos)

Dawn Papandrea on Jan 29, 2010 at 1:02PM

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Women in the Olympics: A History of Firsts

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First Lady of the Rink

Sonja Henie (warming up at the 1928 games in St. Moritz, Switzerland) was the pioneer in women’s Olympic sports. She first competed in 1924, when figure skating was the only women’s competition. (She went on to win gold in the next three winter games). Although she was a Norwegian Olympian, she became American royalty when she became a U.S. citizen and Hollywood starlet.