5,250 men and 5,250 women, one or less, are scheduled to participate in the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024, the first with total parity in terms of the number of registrants.
The numbers, the product of the goldsmith work carried out by the IOC and the federations, They certainly improve the practical uniformity already achieved in the previous edition, Tokyo 2020in which 5,704 men and 5,386 women participated.
The equality that will be experienced at the Paris Games also has a high symbolic value because it was in that city, in the 1900 Games, where women began to participate in Olympic events. Then there were only 22, 2.2% of the participants.
In the next three editions the proportion is even lower. It did not exceed 10% until the 1952 Helsinki Games, 25% until Seoul 1988 and 40% until Athens 2004.
“This is our contribution to a more gender equal world“, said the president of the IOC, the German Thomas Bach, when referring to the figures from Paris on the occasion of Women’s Day.
Despite having the same number of participants, There will still be five medals for men at next July’s Games than women: 157 compared to 152. Twenty more correspond to mixed tests, open to both sexes.
The sport with the most male or female participation is swimming. (648 men and 722 women, because of artistic swimming, although in water polo there will be twelve men’s teams and ten women’s teams), soccer (288/216, because there are 16 men’s teams and 12 of women only), gymnastics (112). /206, for rhythmic gymnastics) and wrestling (192/96, since the Greco-Roman specialty was only for men).
Regarding the Tokyo 2020 Games, progress has been significant in three sports: athletics, cycling and, above all, boxing. When the IOC took control of Olympic boxing, due to the irregularities of the international federation (IBA), three years ago the eight men’s and five women’s weights became seven and six, but with the same number of participants: 124 and 124. In Tokyo there are 206 male boxers and 80 female boxers.
Equality in the athlete quota is far from being the same in other sectors. While waiting to find out what will happen in Paris 2024, in the last edition women were 20% of the chefs de mission of the teams, 32% of the referees and judges and 13% of the recognized coaches.
The Games’ testing schedule, which tends to be largely copied from one edition to another, has also been changed. partly in Paris to not always give the men’s finals the best day and time in terms of audience and visibility. An example is the women’s marathon, which will close the competition program for the first time, with the runners arriving at the Stade de France during the closing period.
Mixed tests are also on the rise. In Tokyo there are already 18 and in Paris there will be 20, with the addition of a marching relay and another sailing class.
“We are about to celebrate one of the most important moments in women’s history in the Olympic Games and in sport in general,” added Thomas Bach. “We look forward to Paris 2024, where we will see the results of the enormous efforts made by the Olympic Movement and the pioneering women will come true.”
“Our commitment to advancing gender equality does not end in Paris“warned the president. “We will continue to open paths for women and work with the parties involved, encouraging them to take the necessary steps to promote gender equality in their area of responsibility. “The IOC will continue to lead the way and use the power of sport to contribute to a more equal and inclusive society.”
Source: La Verdad
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