Half a century since passage of the landmark U.S. Title IX law, Olympians and trailblazers say the legislation profoundly transformed global sports for women.
The law passed June 23, 1972, requires U.S. education programs that receive federal funding to provide equal opportunities for participation — including for all sports.
Girls' high school sports participation has increased more than 1,000% since then, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Collegiate sport participation jumped more than 500%, according to the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF).