Forget Michael Phelps and his historic number of medals. The women of Team USA are just as strong, beautiful, and inspiring. Here are 10 of our favorites to follow on Instagram.
Douglas was the first African-American all-around gymnastics champion in Olympic history and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. Starting Sunday, the 2012 gold medalist will be back to defend her title.
2) Simone Biles
Along with Douglas, Biles makes the U.S. women’s gymnastics team a force to reckon with this year. The 19-year-old is already the first African-American gymnast to be an all-around world champion and the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles.
5) Serena Williams
Williams is, inarguably, the best tennis player in the world. She holds the most singles, doubles, and mixed-doubles titles of any tennis player, male or female. Her matches in Rio are expected to be some of the most-watched of the games.
6) Maya Moore
This year, Moore won her third WNBA title as a member of the Minnesota Lynx, and was named MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game. She was also a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and plans to earn the U.S. basketball team yet another gold in Rio.
9) Ibtihaj Muhammad
Muhammad, of New Jersey, is a member of the fencing team and the first Muslim woman who wears a hijab to represent the U.S. at the Olympics. Muhammad is also the founder and owner of Louella Shop, which specializes in modest fashion.
10) Claressa Shields
Claressa Shields, from Flint, Michigan, was the first American woman to win the boxing gold, a title she took home in the London games at age 17. Shields was also the subject of the 2015 documentary T-Rex: Her Fight For Gold.
