When Wilma Rudolph broke the world record in women's 100 meter dash in 1961 by running 11.2 seconds, the record had been held jointly by Rudolph, Shirley Strickland of Australia and Vera Krepkina of the Soviet Union who had each run an 11.3 second 100 meters.
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The fastest woman before Wilma Rudolph was probably Wilhemina von Bremen, who won numerous sprinting titles in the 1930s and 1940s. She held multiple world records in the 100m and 200m races before Rudolph emerged as a dominant sprinter in the 1950s.
In 2008, the fastest woman in the world was Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the gold medal in the 100 meters at the Beijing Olympics.
Florence Griffith-Joyner, known as Flo-Jo, holds the world record as the fastest pregnant woman. In 1988, she ran the 200m in 21.34 seconds, which remains the fastest time ever recorded.
The main difference is in their physical capabilities due to biological factors like muscle mass, hormones, and body composition. Generally, men tend to have higher levels of testosterone which can contribute to greater muscle mass and strength, giving them a physical advantage in speed compared to women.
As of 2021, Barbara Warren holds the fastest time in the 70-year-old age group for women in the United States.
The fastest ball ever bowled by a woman was 82 mph (131.6 km/h) by Australian cricketer Cathryn Fitzpatrick in 2010.