Tokyo Olympics: the biggest storylines in women’s sports

Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Allyson Felix all have the potential to break the women’s record for most career gold medals, while Simone Manuel could join them in tying/breaking the American version of that record.

Here’s where these four American women stand right now:

• • Felix: 9 total medals (6 gold, 3 silver)
  • Ledecky: 6 total medals (5 gold, 1 silver)
  • Biles: 5 total medals (4 gold, 1 bronze)
  • Manuel: 4 total medals (2 gold, 2 silver)

While Felix will start the Games with the most medals (9), Manuel is expected to have the most medal opportunities (up to 6). Here are the two major records up for grabs:

• • American record for most career gold medals won by a woman
    • The current record – 8 gold medals – is held by swimmer Jenny Thompson
  • International record for most career gold medals won by a woman
    • The current record – 9 gold medals – is held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won the eighth and ninth gold medals of her career in 1964 (the last time Tokyo hosted the Olympics)

Ultimately, the race to these records will likely to come down to scheduling; Manuel and Ledecky have the advantage here as swimming competition wraps up at the end of week one.

A few other records these women could break in Tokyo:

• • Felix could tie or break the record for most medals won by an American track & field athlete, male or female. The current record is held by Carl Lewis (10)
  • Biles, who will be 24 in Tokyo, could become the oldest female gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title since Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska, then 26, won in 1968
  • Biles, Ledecky, and Manuel all have the potential to become the first American woman to win five gold medals at a single Games