via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 01: Kazuhito Tanaka of Japan competes on the horizontal bar in the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Individual All-Around final on Day 5 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 1, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 01: Kazuhito Tanaka of Japan competes on the horizontal bar in the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Individual All-Around final on Day 5 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 1, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Gymnastics women of color have made winning strides in recent years. Starting from Simone Biles to Shilese Jones, in the recent World Championships, the world witnessed a graceful podium. Having said so, another Olympian, who’s in a way a pioneer, has made headlines today.
Dominique Margaux Dawes, the 47-year-old retired artistic gymnast, was more popular as ‘Awesome Dawesome’. Now, why is she a pioneer or a torch-bearer? That’s because she became the first woman of color to have received the Olympic gold medal. Now, the woman who dominated the gymnastic realm once is celebrating her special day today.
Gymnastics legend celebrates her birthday
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It’s Dawes’ 47th birthday today and the fans couldn’t help but reminisce about her mat dominance. X user, Sebastian Avenue posted, a collage of the Olympian, featuring her in different phases of her career. The 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics was a path-breaking event for the gymnast. She not only clinched her team gold but also came out victorious as a bronze medalist in the floor exercise. Interestingly, her golden team gained more popularity by the name “Magnificent Seven”.
Happy Birthday to Dominique Dawes. Dawes is a three time Olympian, the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics, and the first Black person of any nationality or gender to win an Olympic-gold-medal in gymnastics. ? pic.twitter.com/CuqTOIM781
? Ave (@SebastianAvenue) November 20, 2023
Along with Muriel Grossfeld and Linda Metheny-Mulvihill, Dawes was one of the first gymnasts to pave the way for the future generation of gold medalists. In addition, at the 1996 Summer Olympics, owing to her back-to-back stellar displays, the jury considered all eight of her scores. Later, in the 1996 World Championships, she secured a balance beam bronze, despite missing the uneven bar’s podium.
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Dominique Dawes’ induction
Getting inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame was one of the major milestone achievements for Dawges. In 1986, she became the first African-American to have walked home with a gold. In addition, she also said that when she sees younger gymnasts like Biles making big on the global platform
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As a cherry on top, the 47-year-old is the proud owner of gymnastics academies in Clarksburg and Rockville. In early March, Dawes will receive a life-sized statue, ready to feature in Dawes’ hometown, at the Recreation and Aquatics Center.
Watch this story: Top 5 Gymnasts Olivia Dunne?s LSU Worth $625,060,000 Has Ever Produced Over Its Prestigious Time
