Dawes, Dominique M

Description

Leotard worn by gymnast Domique Dawes (b. 1976) at the 1996 Summer Olympic games, held in Atlanta, Georgia. At the games she won gold as part of the first place U.S. team. The Maryland native also took home an individual bronze for her performance in the floor exercise, becoming the first African-American woman to medal in her sport. Dawes was a member of three medal winning Olympic teams. She has been inducted as a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee's Hall of Fame. After her retirement, Dawes began a career as a motivational speaker.The 1996 Summer Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia and marked the first time since 1984 that the United States topped the medal count. These Games saw over 10,000 athletes, from 197 countries, competing in 26 sports, including the debuts of beach volleyball, mountain biking, softball and women’s soccer. This was also the first Games in which American women, who had taken full advantage of Title IX legislation, competed and excelled in Olympic competition. The women’s gymnastics, soccer, softball and basketball teams all won gold, propelling the US women athletes into the global spotlight and beginning their dominance in Olympic competition. Atlanta benefitted from the Games as Centennial Olympic Park led to the revitalization of the downtown area and the Olympic Village became residence housing for area universities.Girls have always played sports but often faced cultural barriers, the idea that girls were not athletic, and structural barriers that denied them equipment and a place to play....

Record Contributed By

National Museum of American History

Record Harvested From

Smithsonian Institution