The Rio Olympics may have been the finest hour in American women’s sporting history. The U.S. women won 27 gold medals – nine more than the U.S. men, and eight more than the entire Russian team.
Out of the 121 total U.S. medals, 61 were won by women. That’s enough to rank them – as if they were competing separately as their own stand-alone country – third out of every nation in Rio.
In times like these, it is good to call out our heroes by name:
– Simone Biles, with four gold medals in gymnastics.
– Katie Ledecky, four gold medals in swimming, and two world records. And she’s 19.