15 greatest upsets in Summer Olympic history

14. 1900: Margaret Abbott wins gold

At the age of 23, Margaret Abbott traveled to France with her mother to study art and music. While in France, she heard about an Olympic golf event in Paris, and she decided to enter along with her mother. What happened next is the stuff of legend.

Abbott was from Chicago, and learned golf from Charles Blair MacDonald and H.J. Whigham, who were a couple of the top American amateurs. She played at Chicago Golf Club, and while she never played in any major tournaments, she did win a few local events, and was considered a top female golfer in Chicago.

The Olympic event was a nine-hole tournament, and Abbott won the gold medal with a score of 47. By winning, Abbott became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. It would be the only Olympic medal she would win in her career. Her mother actually finished eighth in the event.

Abbott never really got to grasp her accomplishment, as golf was not declared part of that Olympics until after her death in 1955. However, her feat goes down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Summer Games, and her legacy will live on forever. She may have been the first American woman to take home gold, but she paved the way for thousands more to do the same.

Next: 13. 2000: Hyman beats O'Neill