According to the Associated Press on Tuesday, tennis icon Billie Jean King of Long Beach, California is receiving a congressional gold medal. It is considered the highest civilian honour recognized by the American Congress. It was first awarded in 1776, and throughout history 184 people have received the award.
King is the first female athlete to receive the honour since 1980 and the first tennis player. Throughout American history, 11 male athletes have been recognized. They are golfers Jack Nicklaus of Columbus, Ohio, Byron Nelson of Waxahachie, Texas, and Arnold Palmer of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, boxer Joe Louis of LaFayette, Alabama, baseball players Jackie Robinson of Cairo, Georgia, Larry Doby of Carden, South Carolina, and Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, Canadian hockey player Willie O’Ree, NFL player Steve Gleason of Spokane, Washington, sprinter Jesse Owens of Oakville, Alabama, and cyclist Greg LeMond of Lakewood, California.
In 1980, American athletes who qualified for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow also received a congressional gold medal. However the fact that these athletes did not have an opportunity to win an Olympic gold medal was devastating as the American government shattered the Olympic dreams of many athletes by their insensitive decision to boycott the Olympic Games due to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
King was a 12-time grand slam singles champion. She won six Wimbledons (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973 and 1975), four United States Opens (1967, 1971, 1972, and 1974), the 1968 Australian Open, and 1972 French Open. King is also being recognized for her philanthropy endeavours which include her fight for gender equality, and being an advocate for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community (where she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom). In 2020, the Fed Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who King is a part owner of, won the World Series.
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