Top 10 Best Female Track and Field Athletes of All Time

Track and field has produced some of the most inspiring and thrilling moments in sports history, and its female athletes have been at the forefront of pushing boundaries and achieving greatness. This list celebrates the incredible women who have not only excelled in their events but also raised the bar for what athletes can accomplish. These women represent a range of disciplines - from sprinting and hurdling to jumping and heptathlons - each bringing their own unique style, skill, and determination to the track or field.
The Top Ten
Florence Griffith Joyner

Florence Griffith Joyner (also known as Flo-Jo) is one of the best female athletes.

Her records in the 100m and 200m stood for over 20 years. She won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, and three gold medals and one silver at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988.

She also won gold and silver medals at the World Championships in Rome in 1987.

She inspired me to be a better person and to focus on what I love most, which is running.

Allyson Felix

She should clearly be #1 over a big-time doper. She was probably the best in the world over 200m and 400m (when she chose to run either) for almost 12 years and was a medal contender in the 100m too.

She was probably one of the rare sprinters who was completely clean as well.

She is the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic gold medals. She is tied with Merlene Ottey as the most decorated female track and field athlete, with nine Olympic medals in total.

Undoubtedly, she is the most decorated female track and field athlete ever!

Wilma Rudolph

An American athlete, she won three gold medals at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, in the 100m, 200m, and 4 x 100m relay. She also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100m relay at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956.

As a child, Rudolph, the 17th of 21 children, was afflicted with polio, scarlet fever, and double pneumonia. She grew up wearing a brace on her right leg. To her doctor's shock, she removed the brace and walked unassisted at age nine.

Wilma is the best! She is such a great influence on any newcomer or long-time competitor in track. She has an amazing story and is the fastest girl I can think of!

I just love Wilma. What an inspiring woman. So yeah.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

JJK had the most sustained excellence of any track athlete - period. She was also a star basketball player at UCLA.

If there are any tiebreakers needed, she has gone on to change the lives of thousands of kids through her foundation.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is one of the best heptathletes and long jumpers of all time. At the Olympic Games, she won three golds, one silver, and two bronzes.

She also won four golds at the World Championships and one gold at the Pan American Games.

Jessica Ennis Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is a retired British track and field athlete from England, specializing in multi-event disciplines and 100 meter hurdles.

Jessica Ennis is the best heptathlete competitor I've ever seen. She wasn't very tall, only 5ft 5, and often competed against women who were 5ft 10 or taller in events like the high jump, shot put, javelin, and long jump.

She always performed her best when it mattered most, winning gold at the 2012 Olympics when all the pressure was on her. Great athlete!

The definition of all-around class. She is unstoppable - such an amazing competitor.

Carmelita Jeter
Fanny Blankers-Koen

In 1948, she was only allowed to compete in four events, but she probably would have won two more. She participated in the 1936 Olympics as an 18-year-old and soon became one of the best female athletes. However, no Olympics were held in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II.

She set world records in the 100m, 80m hurdles, high jump, long jump, 4 x 100m, and 4 x 200m relays. At one point, she held six world records simultaneously. So, she could have won six events across three Olympic Games if she had been given the chance. She has to be one of the best female track and field stars ever!

A Dutch athlete best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 London Olympics.

She also won five golds, one silver, and two bronzes at the European Championships.

Marion Jones-Thompson

She's the reason I wanted to run in the first place. I copied her technique, and nothing she ever did could take away from the exceptional athlete she was and could have been.

My star.

An American (and also Belizean) athlete, she competed in the 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 400m relay, and long jump.

She won three gold and one bronze medal at the World Championships. However, she was disqualified from the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 because of drug use.

Just the best. It's sad she got accused of cheating, but she maintained grace even in her humiliation.

Love that girl.

Gail Devers
Sanya Richards-Ross

Always the dark horse. She was just a beast - one of my all-time favorite athletes and inspirations.

The Newcomers

? Dina Asher-Smith
? Sifan Hassan

Sifan Hassan has dominated middle and long-distance races all season. She holds two world records, including the fastest mile.

She was the first athlete to ever win both the 1500M and the 10,000M.

The Contenders
Mary Decker Slaney

An American athlete, she competed in the 800m, 1000m, 880 yards, 1500m, mile, and 3000m.

She set 36 U.S. records and 17 world records. She won gold medals in the 1500m and 3000m at the World Championships in Helsinki in 1983.

She also won a gold medal in the 1500m at the Pan American Games.

Ana Fidelia Quirot

She survived a severe burn injury to come back and dominate again.

Best female 800-meter runner and also a great 400-meter runner.

Best ever in the 800 meters for women!

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Yelena Isinbayeva
Merlene Ottey

As an avid and, I would dare say, knowledgeable fan of the sport, and respectful of some of the greats, how could Merlene Ottey be ranked 31st on this list? I'm not sure what the aim is here.

For me, she certainly ranks in the top 5. She lost so many gold medals to barefaced cheaters.

Irena Szewinska
Babe Didrikson Zaharias

An American athlete who won a gold medal in the 80m hurdles, a gold medal in the javelin throw, and a silver medal in the high jump at the 1932 Olympic Games.

She also won 31 LPGA titles and achieved many other accomplishments.

Wyomia Tyus

An American athlete, she was the first to win gold medals in the 100m in back-to-back Olympic Games. She won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968 and gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964.

She also won a gold medal at the Pan American Games.

Evelyn Ashford

Ashford, the best. Period.

Marita Koch, right behind her. Certainly #1 and #2!

Sandra Perkovic
Veronica Campbell-Brown
Dafne Schippers
Alice Coachman

An American athlete.

She is the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

She won it in the high jump at the 1948 London Olympics. During those games, she was also the only American woman to win a gold medal.

Marita Koch
Jarmila Kratochvilova
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