‘Kicking ass’: US women’s jaw-dropping successes at Rio Olympics creating great role models for next generation

From swimming to gymnastics, some of the biggest victories for Team USA in Rio have come from their women athletes, and swimmer Maya DiRado says having strong role models has been a key to their success.

US athletes like gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky have basked in the spotlight at the Rio Olympics, and DiRado thinks they in turn will become examples for the next generation.

WATCH: golden moments on Day 8 at the Rio Olympics

“We just have a lot of strong women role models. Start in the White House, you have Michelle Obama who’s kick-ass in so many areas of her life,” DiRado said on Saturday, a day after she won gold in the women’s 200 metres backstroke.

“I think women’s sports have been growing at such a huge rate for the past 30 years that it’s been such an accepted part of the culture.

“I’m probably too young to know when it was different but I’ve always been encouraged and never thought that I couldn’t compete,” she said.

Biles dazzled the gymnastics world when she took gold in the all around on Thursday, her second after she and her “Final Five” teammates dominated the team competition earlier in the week.