Former Duke All-American and Olympic gold medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar was honored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with a Woman of the Year award earlier this week at the 127th Session of the IOC in Monaco.
Hogshead-Makar was one of six women from around the world selected for their contributions to women’s participation in sports and sports administration. She received the IOC Trophy for the Americas in recognition of her work as a lawyer, author, professor, public speaker and advocate for women, particularly in athletics. Considered one of the foremost authorities on gender equity in sport, Hogshead-Makar has been heavily involved in Title IX initiatives and enforcement.
During her collegiate career at Duke, Hogshead-Makar captured All-America honors in the 500-yard freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 IM events. She also won four individual titles at the 1981 ACC Championship in the 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 IM. Hogshead-Makar went on to claim three gold medals (100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay) and one silver (200 IM) at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A 1986 graduate of the university, Hogshead-Makar was inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and was a keynote speaker at Duke’s 2012 celebration of 40 Years of women’s athletics.
