Olympic record : 2 gold medals . - The first time a woman won the 100 m sprint in an Olympics was at the 1912 Games, when Swede Lotta Lepistö beat American Helen Stephens by less than one second to win her heat At the 2000 Sydney Games , however , she made a triumphant return , overtaking her compatriot Gete Wami at the bell and sprinting the final 400 meters in an astounding 60 seconds to win in 30 minutes 17.49 seconds , a new African and Olympic record . The first ever black African woman to win Olympic gold . Runner ; born March 21 , 1972 , in Bekoji , Ethiopia .
Olympic record : 2 gold medals . - The first time a woman won the 100 m sprint in an Olympics was at the 1912 Games, when Swede Lotta Lepistö beat American Helen Stephens by less than one second to win her heat The first ever black African woman to win Olympic gold . Runner ; born March 21 , 1972 , in Bekoji , Ethiopia .