18 Female Athletes Who Had Us Out of Our Seats Cheering

Four years ago in the London Olympics, six-foot-two-inch Missy Franklin was the perky 17-year-old darling of the US swim team who won five medals--four of them gold. Known for being open about her latest crush, she currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke and American records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, and we're looking forward to seeing her swim to victory in Rio.

At the 2013 Little League World Series, Mo'ne Davis showed the fellas how to throw like a girl and emerged as a baseball superstar. In response to social media haters, she has shown a maturity that belies her young age.

In the London Olympics four years ago, Gabby Douglas won gold in the all-around competition and helped lead the US to a team gold. She has set her sights on competing with the American gymnastics team in Rio.

At the London 2012 Olympics, they showed us what happens when a team of women works together unselfishly. The US women's soccer squad took gold not because of Abby Wambach or Alex Morgan or Hope Solo, but because of everyone pulling their talents together.

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Classy on and off the ice, Nancy Kerrigan was a darling among figure skaters in the early 1990s. After being attacked by a hitman hired by a jealous skating rival, Kerrigan skated to Olympic silver in 1994, and we loved her even more.

How can you fail to admire Lindsey Vonn's toughness? With four World Cup overall championships and many a battle scar under her belt, the golden girl just keeps on skiing. Here she is after winning the overall Downhill World Cup title at the FIS Alpine Skiiing World Cup Finals in St. Moritz in March 2016.

With an incredible 21 Grand Slam titles under her belt, Serena Williams is a force to be reckoned with and shows no sign of slowing down.

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Called "Chicken Legs" as a kid, Allyson Felix matured into one of the most graceful and fastest runners ever to hit the track. We've already cheered her to six Olympic gold medals and numerous world championships, and there may be more on the way in Rio.

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Five-time world champion figure skater Michelle Kwan was a huge crowd favorite when she won silver and bronze at the Olympics in 1998 and 2002. After retiring in 2006, she went back to school and now works at the US State Department as a senior adviser for public diplomacy and public affairs.

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The most successful female race car driver in history, NASCAR's 2013 rookie of the year Danica Patrick is inspiring a new generation of young racing fans while kicking many a guy to the curb. 

Where would US women's soccer be today without Mia Hamm? During her 17 years on the US national team, she was the force behind two World Cup wins and two Olympic gold medals, inspiring the next generation of little girls who went on to be champions.

From winning a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing to becoming a legendary MMA powerhouse, Ronda Rousey has shown what it means to fight like a girl.

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Two-time and current US national champion figure skater Gracie Gold has her eye on the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Nastia Liukin showed off her balletic style, gorgeous long lines, and steely nerves on her way to winning gold in the individual all-around gymnastics meet. Last year, we cheered her on again on Dancing with the Stars.

Two winters ago in Sochi, plucky 18-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin made Alpine skiing history as the youngest-ever winner of an Olympic slalom gold medal and won us over with her girl-next-door demeanor. Best of all, in a sport where women compete into their 30s, she's got plenty more where that came from.

One of the greatest female athletes of all time, heptathlon queen Jackie Joyner-Kersee competed in an amazing four Summer Olympic games from 1984 to 1996. All in all, she won three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

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Considered the best beach volleyball duo of all time, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings thumped, dived, and spiked their way to three straight Olympic gold medals. With Treanor now retired, Jennings is now hoping to compete in Rio with a new partner.

The most decorated American female winter Olympian of all time, American speedskater Bonnie Blair wowed us in four Olympics, winning five golds and one bronze. In 1992, Sports Illustrated named her "Sportsman of the Year."