The only other American woman to achieve an Olympic medal in the shot put, was Earlene Brown, who won the bronze at the 1960 Olympic Games that were held in Rome.
Most impressive about Carter is that she accomplished this milestone with her final Herculean throw at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, where it reached a distance of 20.63 meters. She bested Valerie Adams, who was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, who threw 20.42 meters, thus leaving her with a silver medal.
Earlier this year, at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Carter also won the gold medal at the indoor shot put event, where her best throw was at 20.21 meters.
Michelle is coached by her father, Michael Carter, who is a former Olympian himself, and now they are the sole father and daughter to achieve medals at the Olympic Games. Michael won the silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Aside from being a competitive athlete, Carter is also a certified professional make-up artist, who runs Shot Diva.
To learn more about Michelle Carter, follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.
