Top 10 US Female Athlete of the Year 2023 (5-1)
Last time out, we began our countdown of the Top female athletes in the United States in 2023, taking a look at how they’ve performed in some of the top events such as the Diamond League and World Championships.
Here, we take a look at our Top 5 female athletes of the year in the US.
5. Shamier Little
In the absence of the World record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Shamier Little has taken up the mantle of the best sprint-hurdler in the States, and she took it to the world stage this year. The Chicago native might not have been in the class of the likes of her countrywoman and Dutch sensation Femke Bol, but her consistency on the circuit is one that many up-and-coming sprinters should be envious of.
Little opened her outdoor season with the 400m in April, running 50s in both Florida and Los Angeles. She even ran the Diamond League opener over the one-lap in Doha as she placed second. In her signature event, which is the 400m Hurdles, the 2015 World Championship Silver medallist ran a staggering 53.95s to win the Diamond League in Rabat.
With McLaughlin-Levrone running the 400m flat, it paved the way for Little to dominate the 400mH at the US Championships as she won at a canter with 53.34s. It was a confidence booster heading into this year’s World Championships in Budapest.
In Budapest, after placing second in her heats and winning her semis, Little faced the untouchable Bol in the final inside the National Athletics Center. The three-time national Champion went shoulder to shoulder with Bol and was even level with the Dutch sprinter with less than 100m to go. However, Bol pulled away on the home straight to claim the win, with Little taking Silver in 52.80.
Still in the prime age of 28, Little will set her sights on the Paris Olympics, hoping to add another Silver medal to her kitty.
4. Chase Ealey
How times have changed for US Shot Putter, Chase Ealey. The 29-year-old from Springfield, Illinois, was only just two years ago a shadow of herself after she failed to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Two years later, Ealey can now boast of two world titles. It’s not as simple as it’s written, but for sheer resilience from her path and a bit of technique twitching, she now is the undisputed queen of the Shot Put.
Coming off a breakout…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at runblogrun…