Cynisca

thumb|Statue base with an inscription in memory of Cynisca's 396 BC Olympic victory. Museum of the Olympic Games in Antiquity, Olympia, Greece|Olympia|235x235px Cynisca (; or Kyniska, ; born ) was a wealthy Spartan princess. She is famous for being the first woman to win at the Olympic Games. Cynisca first entered the Olympics in 396 BC, where she won first prize competing with a team of horses she had trained herself. In 392 BC, Cynisca entered her horses in the Olympics for a second time and was awarded another victory in the same event.

== Name == The name Cynisca means 'female puppy' or 'little hound' in Ancient Greek. She was named after her grandfather Zeuxidamus, who was also called Cyniscos. Sarah B. Pomeroy suggest that this unusual name could have been a nickname for a tomboyish woman and it alludes to an interest in hunting. It is possible that the name is derived from the hunting traditions of the Spartan elite. Per Cartledge, it could have been a tribute to a species of a Spartan hound that was renowned as scenter during hunting. Pomeroy notes that the names of her close female relatives point to equestrian interests in their lineage.