Top 5 female athletes who have competed in men's sports events

Every activity in life produces a few genius personalities who can achieve more than most others. Men have often dominated sport because of its physical nature. But a few women have stepped across the gender line to go toe-to-toe against their male counterparts. Here are the best five women to have played in men’s sports.

#5 Katie Hnida

Kate Hnida is the first woman to score points in an NCAA Division 1-A game, which is American football’s highest college level. While playing for the University of New Mexico Lobos in 2003, Hnida scored two extra points as a placekicker.

She was a regular started for the team and also participated for the Lobos in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA. She became the second professional female American football player in history, when she became the kicker for the Fort Wayne FireHawks in the Continental indoor football league.

#4 Seana Hogan

Seana Hogan is a long-distance endurance cyclist. She is considered to be one of the greatest athletes in the sport. Her achievements include both women’s and men’s events. ‘Ultra cycling’ sees cyclists compete in races for many days and cover hundreds of miles. The endurance levels of the athletes have to be of highest levels to finish the race, let alone win it.

in 1995, Hogan won the open Furnace Creek 508 race. She also holds the overall ultra cycling record time for the race between Los Angeles and San Francisco. She completed the route in 19 hours and 11 minutes. The record she created in 1996 has not been broken by any man or woman till date.

Hogan was inducted in the ultra cycling Hall of Fame in 2004. You can see all her achievements here.

#3 Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie, the youngest woman to qualify for a LPGA Tour event, has many times dared to battle in the men’s events. She took part in 13 men’s events in total but only made the cut once. The 2014 US Women’s Open champion, managed to make the cut in the 2006 SK Telecom Open and finished tied for 35^th. At the 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii, Wie was granted a sponsor’s exemption, which made her the youngest female to play a PGA Tour event.

Wie hasn’t played in a men’s event in six years but her recent major win will give her enough confidence, should she decide to try her hand against male golfers.

#2 Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole in the qualifying for the Daytona 500 in 2013. Patrick has been a key figure in motorsport and has been an inspiration to several young female drivers who dream of racing at the highest levels.

Patrick is the most successful woman in American open-wheel racing. Her third place finish at the Indianapolis 500 in 2009 is the highest finish ever by a woman at the track.

Although, some say that her low body weight gives her an advantage over her male counterparts, there is absolutely no doubt that Patrick is going wheel-to-wheel solely based on her talent and determination to succeed.

#1 Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King (left) with Bobby Riggs

After beating Court in the first ‘battle of the sexes’, Bobby Riggs taunted all female players to take up his challenge. Billy Jean King accepted the challenge and was set to face Riggs in a crowd of over 30,000 fans. On September 20^th 1973, King beat Riggs in 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in straight sets. Although King was 26 years younger than Riggs, King had to bring her best performance to beat Riggs. It was rumoured that Riggs was so devasted after losing that he locked himself in his hotel room for hours.

Edited by Staff Editor