Who was the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal?

Alice Coachman was the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

She achieved the milestone in the women’s high jump at the 1948 London Olympics. Coachman cleared 1.68 metres on her first attempt, while Great Britain’s Dorothy Tyler needed a second attempt to clear the same height. That countback gave Coachman the victory and made her the only American woman to win an athletics gold medal at those Games.

Coachman’s achievement came after years of overcoming racial and gender barriers. Growing up in Albany, Georgia, she often trained barefoot on dirt roads because Black athletes had limited access to organized facilities. She later developed her skills at Tuskegee Institute and won 10 consecutive Amateur Athletic Union high-jump championships from 1939 through 1948.

The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled during World War II, delaying her Olympic debut. After retiring, Coachman worked as a teacher and inspired later American track stars, including Evelyn Ashford and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.