What were Wilma Rudolph’s major athletic accomplishments?

Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome — in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4x100-meter relay — earning her the title of "the fastest woman in the world." She was the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.

Why is Wilma Rudolph considered a trailblazer?

She broke significant racial and gender barriers in athletics, becoming one of the most visible Black female athletes of her time. Her achievements helped pave the way for future generations of women and minorities in sports.

What challenges did Wilma Rudolph overcome?

Born prematurely and battling polio as a child, Rudolph overcame physical disability, poverty, and systemic racism to become a world-class athlete and an inspiration to many.

What did Wilma Rudolph do after her athletic career?

After retiring from competition, she became a teacher, coach, and advocate for youth sports and civil rights, using her platform to empower others.

Wilma Rudolph

Q: Where did Wilma Rudolph go to school?

She attended Tennessee State University, where she further developed her athletic career while pursuing higher education.

American athlete (1940–1994)

Person Human Q31083

Facts

30 properties

Instance of: human
Sex or gender: female^[16]
Date of birth: June 23, 1940
Date of death: November 12, 1994
Place of birth: Clarksville, Tennessee^[6]
Place of death: Brentwood
Country of citizenship: United States^[9]
Ethnic group: African Americans^[10]
Occupation: sprinter
Educated at: Tennessee State University^[11]
Award received: James E. Sullivan Award (1961), National Women's Hall of Fame (1994), Distinguished Americans series (2004), Associated Press Athlete of the Year (1960, 1961)^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]
Cause of death: brain cancer^[17]
Languages spoken, written or signed: English^[32]
Competition won: athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres^[39]^[40]^[41]
Country for sport: United States^[33]
Described by source: Notable Black American Women, Great Women Athletes of the 20th Century^[25]^[26]
Family name: Rudolph^[19]
Given name: Wilma, Vilma^[20]^[21]
Height: 180 cm^[36]
Manner of death: natural causes^[24]
Mass: 59 kg^[37]
Medical condition: poliomyelitis^[23]
Name in native language: Wilma Glodean Rudolph^[34]
Number of children: 4^[35]

Show all 30 facts +6

On focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4 (2022)
Participant in: athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay, athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres, Athletics at the 1959 Pan American Games – Women's 200 metres^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31]
Place of burial: Tennessee, Edgefield Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery^[7]^[8]
Record held: Men's 100 metres world record progression (1960–1961), Men's 100 metres world record progression (1961–1965)^[22]
Sport: athletics^[18]
Sports discipline competed in: sprinting^[38]

🏷️ Also known as

en Wilma Glodean Rudolph en Black Gazelle en Wilma Rudolph en Wilma G. Rudolph ar ويلما_رودولف ar ويلما رودولف cs Wilma Rudolphová cs Wilma Rudolph cs Wilma G. Rudolph cs Wilma Glodean Rudolph de Wilma G. Rudolph de Wilma Glodean Rudolph el Γουίλμα Ρούντολφ fa غزال سیاه fa ویلما رادلف fa ویلما رادولف fa ویلما رودالف fa ویلما رودلف fi Wilma Glodean Rudolph fr Wilma Glodean Rudolph

🔖 Identifiers · 66

ISNI: 0000000078633001
VIAF cluster ID: 69770651
Library of Congress Authorities ID: n86116402
GND ID: 120858681
Image (Wikimedia Commons): Wilma Rudolph (1960).jpg ↗
A Dictionary of Sports Studies entry ID: 980
American National Biography ID: 1900858
Athletics Podium person ID: 40172
Awards & Winners artist ID: 086vt
BNB person ID (OBSOLETE): RudolphWilma1940-1994
BlackPast.org ID: african-american-history/rudolph-wilma-1940-1994
Collective Biographies of Women ID: 16209

Show all 66 identifiers +54

Comic Vine ID: 4005-38556
DDB person (GND) ID: 120858681
DUC ID: wilma-rudolph
Deutsche Biographie (GND) ID: 120858681
Dimitri and Aliki Perrotis Central Library ID: 30202
Enciclopedia delle donne ID: wilma-rudolph
Encyclopedia of African American History 1896 to the Present entry ID: 1059
Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: biography/Wilma-Rudolph
Encyclopædia Universalis ID: wilma-rudolph
FAST ID: 199243
Famous Birthdays ID: people/wilma-rudolph
FemBio ID: 23789
Film.ru person ID: wilma-rudolph
Find a Grave memorial ID: 5532
Freebase ID: /m/086vt
GTAA ID: 148580
Geni profile ID: 6000000081993212652
Great Norwegian Encyclopedia ID: Wilma_Rudolph
Great Russian Encyclopedia Online ID (2017): 3518308
Hrvatska enciklopedija ID: 53648
IMDb ID: nm1356385
IdRef ID: 152911774
InterSportStats athlete ID: 3000005505
J9U entity ID: 987007322242805171
Kinobox person ID: 977318
Lex ID: Wilma_Rudolph
Lur Encyclopedic Dictionary ID: 05169/eu_r_1068/r1068
Munzinger Sport number: 01000050188
NE.se ID: wilma-rudolph
NNDB people ID: 691/000046553
National Library of Greece ID: 344562
Nationale Thesaurus voor Auteursnamen ID: 195551141
Olympedia people ID: 77958
Olympic.org athlete ID (archived): wilma-rudolph
Olympics.com athlete ID: wilma-rudolph
Online PWN Encyclopedia ID: 3969889
Oxford Reference overview ID: 20110810105751247
Quora topic ID: Wilma-Rudolph
SNAC ARK ID: w608766d
Sports-Reference.com Olympic athlete ID (archived): ru/wilma-rudolph-1
TeamUSA.com Hall of Fame member ID: wilma-rudolph
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame athlete ID: rudolph-wilma
Tilastopaja female athlete ID: 66146
Track and Field Statistics female athlete ID: 2334
Trading Card Database name ID: 45546
U.S. National Archives Identifier: 10570651
USA Track & Field Hall of Fame legacy ID (archived): 141
USA Track & Field athlete ID (new): wilma-rudolph
WikiKids ID: Wilma_Rudolph
WikiTree person ID: Rudolph-229
World Athletics athlete ID: 14372878
WorldCat Entities ID: E39PBJy4hcwJc4WTMMttx7QQbd
Yale LUX ID: person/9da41a38-bf07-4113-8432-9dddd2e84bc1
ČSFD person ID: 848055

Report an error or request removal Lineage (PROV-JSON)

🔗 Connections

Award received 4

National Women's Hall of Fame, James E. Sullivan Award, Associated Press Athlete of the Year, Distinguished Americans series

Participant in 4

athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres, athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay

Competition won 3

athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay

← Winner 3

James E. Sullivan Award, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres

Given name 2

Vilma, Wilma

Participated in 2

athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres, athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres

Place of birth 2

Tennessee, Clarksville

Record held 2

Men's 100 metres world record progression, Men's 100 metres world record progression

Country for sport 1

United States

Country of citizenship 1

United States

Educated at 1

Tennessee State University

Ethnic group 1

African Americans

Instance of 1

human

Languages spoken, written or signed 1

English

Manner of death 1

natural causes

Medical condition 1

poliomyelitis

Occupation 1

sprinter

On focus list of Wikimedia project 1

Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4

Place of burial 1

Tennessee

Place of death 1

Brentwood

Sex or gender 1

female

Sport 1

athletics

Sports discipline competed in 1

sprinting

← Cast member 1

The Grand Olympics

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Summary

Wilma Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940^[1], in Clarksville^[2]. She died on November 12, 1994^[3], in Brentwood^[4]. She worked as a sprinter^[5].

FAQs

Where was Wilma Rudolph born?

Wilma Rudolph was born in Clarksville^[2].

Where did Wilma Rudolph die?

Wilma Rudolph passed away in Brentwood^[4].

What did Wilma Rudolph do for work?

Wilma Rudolph worked as a sprinter^[5].

Where did Wilma Rudolph go to school?

Wilma Rudolph was educated at Tennessee State University^[11].

What awards did Wilma Rudolph receive?

Honors received include James E. Sullivan Award^[12], National Women's Hall of Fame^[13], Distinguished Americans series^[14], and Associated Press Athlete of the Year^[15].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

[2] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — place of birth (P19): Clarksville. wikidata.org.
[6] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — place of birth (P19): Tennessee. blackpast.org. blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[4] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — place of death (P20): Brentwood. Great Norwegian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2026-10-18. wikidata.org.
[16] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — sex or gender (P21): female. Integrated Authority File. Retrieved 2026-11-06. wikidata.org.
[9] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — country of citizenship (P27): United States. wikidata.org.
[11] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — educated at (P69): Tennessee State University. wikidata.org.
[5] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — occupation (P106): sprinter. wikidata.org.
[7] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — place of burial (P119): Tennessee. Retrieved 2023-04-23. wikidata.org.
[8] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — place of burial (P119): Edgefield Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2023-04-23. wikidata.org.
[12] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — award received (P166): James E. Sullivan Award. wikidata.org.
[13] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — award received (P166): National Women's Hall of Fame. womenofthehall.org. womenofthehall.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[14] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — award received (P166): Distinguished Americans series. wikidata.org.
[15] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — award received (P166): Associated Press Athlete of the Year. wikidata.org.
[10] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — ethnic group (P172): African Americans. Notable Black American Women. wikidata.org.
[17] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — cause of death (P509): brain cancer. wikidata.org.
[1] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — date of birth (P569): June 23, 1940. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2017-10-09. blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[3] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — date of death (P570): November 12, 1994. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2017-10-09. wikidata.org.
[18] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — sport (P641): athletics. blackpast.org. blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[19] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — family name (P734): Rudolph. wikidata.org.
[20] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — given name (P735): Wilma. wikidata.org.
[21] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — given name (P735): Vilma. wikidata.org.
[22] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — record held (P1000): Men's 100 metres world record progression. wikidata.org.
[23] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — medical condition (P1050): poliomyelitis. wikidata.org.
[24] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — manner of death (P1196): natural causes. wikidata.org.
[25] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — described by source (P1343): Notable Black American Women. wikidata.org.
[26] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — described by source (P1343): Great Women Athletes of the 20th Century. wikidata.org.
[27] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — participant in (P1344): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay. wikidata.org.
[28] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — participant in (P1344): athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay. wikidata.org.
[29] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — participant in (P1344): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres. wikidata.org.
[30] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — participant in (P1344): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres. wikidata.org.
[31] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — participant in (P1344): Athletics at the 1959 Pan American Games – Women's 200 metres. wikidata.org.
[32] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — languages spoken, written or signed (P1412): English. IdRef. Retrieved 2020-03-21. wikidata.org.
[33] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — country for sport (P1532): United States. wikidata.org.
[34] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — name in native language (P1559): Wilma Glodean Rudolph. wikidata.org.
[35] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — number of children (P1971): 4. wikidata.org.
[36] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — height (P2048): 180 cm. wikidata.org.
[37] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — mass (P2067): 59 kg. wikidata.org.
[38] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — sports discipline competed in (P2416): sprinting. wikidata.org.
[39] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — competition won (P2522): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 4 × 100 metres relay. wikidata.org.
[40] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — competition won (P2522): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 100 metres. wikidata.org.
[41] ↑ Wilma Rudolph — competition won (P2522): athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – women's 200 metres. wikidata.org.

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BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_wilma-rudolph_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Wilma Rudolph}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/wilma-rudolph}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-15}}

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

8d ago · Printstream · 2026-11-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗

"Changed the item: QuickStatements 3.0 batch #64318: add GND source to female gender"
28d ago · OKA bot bot · 2026-10-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗

"Changed [nb] labels, descriptions, aliases and claims: other names, source for place of death, source for date of birth, source for date of death from Store norske leksikon (…"
10w ago · WikiTrackBot · 2026-09-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗

Athletics Podium person ID → 40172

"Created claim: Athletics Podium person ID: 40172, add P13725 (40172) via athpod"

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