"It's really stunning, " says Nancy Hogshead-Makar, senior director of advocacy for the Women's Sports Foundation.

CNN: Women's athletics a battle for respect

To further clarify, Hogshead-Makar went on to explain that a precedent was set in the legal case Russo v.

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The first American to win more than one medal while swimming three strokes was Nancy Hogshead in the boycotted 1984 Games.

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Hogshead-Makar, who won three gold medals as an Olympic swimmer, says playing sports teaches girls about winning and losing, belonging to a team, and postponing short-term gratification for long-term rewards.

CNN: Women's athletics a battle for respect