9 unforgettable cases when women beat men at various competitions

The debate about who is better, men or women (or they are equal), has been going on for many centuries, and in sports it has not been without them either. Of course, the problem is still being discussed, but any conversation involving gender comparison in sports should include awareness of the following indisputable facts.

Firstly, because of the differences in genes, men are naturally stronger than women. Secondly, with regard to sports, reports from the Olympic Games since 1983 show that male athletes were better than women by an average of 10% in each sport.

These facts suggest that, for example, athletics may be exactly the kind of sport where men enjoy a clear and significant advantage over women. But still, there have been several cases in history when women have beaten men in sports and even in some athletics disciplines.

Here are nine of the most memorable moments when women got the better of men.

1. Eating competitions: Sonya Thomas at the "National Wings Festival" in Buffalo in 2003

Sonya Thomas, a small American of Korean descent, does not look like a girl who eats a lot, but she is at the top of the ranking of the best eaters in the world. She was even nicknamed the "Black Widow" because of the regularity with which she defeats men who are five times her size. In 2003, Thomas won the "National Wings Festival" in Buffalo, where she competed with men and won by eating 134 wings in 12 minutes and earned 6 more similar titles in 2004 and between 2007 and 2011. But she did not stop there and made a noise in the Hot dog eating Competition "Nathan's Famous". She has never won there, but in 2004 she swallowed 26.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes.

2. Boxing: Jackie Tonawanda defeated Larry Rodania at Aaron Bank's Oriental World of Self-Defense Show in 1975

Jackie Tonawanda, nicknamed "Ali Woman", was among the pioneers of women's professional boxing in the 1970s and 1980s. She was one of three women who successfully won a case against the New York State Athletic Commission, which issued licenses to boxers. Jackie confirmed her legendary status on June 8, 1975, when she became the first female boxer to get the right to fight in Madison Square Garden. Her opponent was a man named Larry Rodania. Even more striking is that Tonawanda won the match by knockout in the second round.

3. Horse Racing (Jockey): Julie Crown at the Belmont Stakes in 1993

Even as a child, American Julie Crown was already considered an experienced rider and competed in Western Michigan, but this was not enough for her. She dreamed of a career as a professional jockey and her idol was Steve Koten. And on January 30, 1981, Crown took a step towards realizing her dream, making her debut in the Tampa Bay Downs horse race in Florida. Just two weeks later, Julie won her first horse race, establishing herself as a rider. In 1993, Crown achieved what no woman had ever achieved before; she won the Belmont Stakes at Colonial Affair. Thanks to this success, Julie became the first female jockey to win the Triple Crown horse race. She has been inducted into the National Museum of Horse Racing and Hall of Fame, the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Equestrian Hall of Fame. But Julie didn't stop there. In 2003, Crown became the first female jockey to win a Breeders’ Race Cup in Santa Anita.

4. Ultramarathon: Pam Reed at Ultramarathon Badwater 2002 and 2003

In July, the sun over Death Valley, California, is considered the most destructive and deadly, but this weather is considered ideal for one of the most difficult marathons — Ultramarathon Badwater. The length of the marathon is more than 217 kilometers with a start in the town of Badwater, in the lowest place in North America, and a finish on Mount Whitney. Due to the harsh conditions, Irina Reutovich's record of 29:48:27 in 2000 was considered unattainable. Therefore, 41-year-old Pam Reed, an experienced marathon runner, had to be persuaded to take part in the race for a very long time. However, when she did it in 2002, and came first, and broke Reutovich's record by 1 hour and 52 minutes, everyone was shocked. In addition, the next participant crossed the finish line in more than 4 hours. And Pam proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the marathon again in 2003.

5. Bowling: Kelly Kulik at the Tournament of Champions 2010

On June 4, 2006, in New Jersey, Kelly Kulik changed history by becoming the first female bowling player to receive a permit to participate in the Professional Bowling Association (PBA), so she could participate in any PBA competitions during the 2006-2007 season. Soon after, Kelly set a goal for herself to become the first woman to receive a PBA title. And Kulik did it at the 2010 PBA Champions Tournament. Kelly qualified for the tournament by winning the inaugural PBA Women's World Championship, and proved her ability to participate in the prestigious competition by beating Chris Barnes in the final with a score of 265-195. After the historic victory, Kulik beamed: "Obviously, this is a turning point in my career and women's sports in general, but I really would like this sport to benefit from my victory."

6. Freestyle wrestling. Michaela Hutchison at the High School State Meet in Alaska 2006

Do women fight with men? It sounds, at least, strange. But in 2005, 17 women were eligible to participate in the wrestling championships, where men also participated. However, Michaela Hutchison from Anchorage, Alaska, changed history in 2006 by becoming the first female wrestler to win a national championship with men.She got into the sport thanks to her brothers, two of whom were holders of this title before Mikaela became one. However, it came as a surprise to the Hutchinsons when Mikaela was able to win in the final in just 16 seconds. Her victory itself was not so surprising, since she participated in the tournament as the No. 1 wrestler in her weight category. Hutchinson finished the season with a score of 45-4.

7. Equestrian: Anki van Grunsven at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

Equestrian is one of the two Olympic sports in which men and women compete against each other on equal terms. A girl from the Netherlands named Anki van Grunsven managed to win gold at the Olympic Games three times in a row (in 2000, 2004, 2008). Even more surprising is that van Grunsven won her second gold medal in 2004 in Athens when she was pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to a child in the same year, and in subsequent years increased the number of her Olympic awards. To date, she has 3 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medals at seven Olympic Games in a row.

8. Auto Racing: Danica Patrick Indy300 in Japan 2008

By the time Danica Patrick was named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 2005, the racing world knew that this woman was already a champion of sorts. However, it took several more years for the Wisconsin-born American to finally reach incredible heights. It happened on April 20, 2008 at the Indy300 in Japan. She finished five seconds ahead of Elio Castroneves. Danica became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

9. Tennis: Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs at Battle of the Sexes 1973

Before retiring, in 1951, Bobby Riggs was considered one of the best tennis players in the world with his six major titles. He was also recognized as the number 1 tennis player for three years, this happened in 1939, 1946, 1947. However, even after Riggs stopped playing, he continued to be in the spotlight, promoting the sport and paying special attention to the progress in this sport. But one "cockroach" did not leave his head. All his life he believed that in tennis a man will always be much more successful than a woman. And at the age of 55, he declared that he could beat any top female player. He was able to confirm his words by beating Margaret Court, then the No. 1 tennis player, in a match that took place on May 13, 1973. However, Billie Jean King, another top female player, forced Riggs to change his mind by beating him 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 on September 20, 1973. But not everyone so unequivocally regarded King's victory, since she was 26 years younger than Riggs and besides, there was an assumption that Riggs deliberately lost the match to sort out his debts, which he earned on gambling.