With the Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympics happening today, we couldn’t let the event pass without delivering another list of beautiful female athletes. You loved our U.S.A.-only list of women, and now we’re delivering another with non-American female athletes, many of them suggested by our readers. This was the first time in Olympic history that every country included a woman on its team, making this year’s games a true international affair.
Homare Sawa – Soccer – Japan
The reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, this 33-year-old soccer legend is retiring after a two-decade career. Leading Japan’s women’s soccer team to win a silver medal, it marked the first time it ever won a medal in the sport.
Maria Sharapova – Tennis – Russia
This 25-year-old tennis vixen is as renown for her model good looks as she is for her skills on the court. A four-time Grand Slam singles champion and a former world no.1, she competed against Serena Williams for the gold. While she was no match for Williams, who won in a 6-0, 6-1 victory, this was Sharapova’s first time playing at the Olympics, representing her home country of Russia no less.
Hanna Fogelström – Women’s Handball – Sweden
Don’t be fooled by this Swede’s girl-next-door look. Although Sweden’s women’s handball team didn’t bring home the gold in her first Olympics appearance (the victory went to Norway), the 21-year-old put up quite the fight at the women’s preliminaries.
Victoria Azarenka – Tennis – Belarus
At this year’s games in London, Victoria, ranked no. 1 in the world, won two Olympic medals: a gold in mixed doubles and a bronze in singles.
Darya Klishina – Track and Field – Russia
While she didn’t win at this year’s Olympics, she came into the games as one to watch. Last year, she won gold at the European Indoor Championships as well as another victory at the European U23 championships. As a junior athlete, she also boasts the second-farthest jump at 23’ ¾’’.
Tirunesh Dibaba – Women’s 5000/10,000m – Ethiopia
The 27-year-old Ethiopian won the women’s 10,000m final at this year’s Olympic games in London.
Jessica Ennis – Track and Field – Great Britain
This 26-year-old Brit is walking away from the Olympics with a gold medal victory in the women’s heptathlon. And let’s not forget about the baby named after her.
Aída Román – Archery – Mexico
At this year’s Olympics, this archer almost hit her target for gold, instead earning the silver medal in Women’s Individual Archery. But let’s not feel too bad for her – Román already has a gold medal from her victory in the 2011 Pan American Games.
Naomi Flood – Kayaking – Australia
In her Olympic debut, this Aussie and her partner Lyndsie Fogarty finished in 7th place at the Women’s Kayak Double 500m semi-finals.
Leryn Franco – Javelin – Paraguay
Although Leryn finished in 18th place in the qualifying round, failing to move forward to the finals, she has an endorsement deal from Nike and a feature in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition to fall back on.