Rise of the wonder women
More female athletes than ever are displaying their power, grace and skill on the world's greatest sporting stage
While it's commonplace to see women shining on the Olympic stage today, little over a century ago, they were not even allowed to compete. Their journey to reach this sporting pinnacle has been long and arduous — more akin to a marathon than a sprint — and it began in Paris in 1900, when women competed in the Olympics for the first time.
Now, a century-and-a-quarter later, Paris is again laying down another Olympic milestone for female athletes. The International Olympic Committee has ensured that approximately half of the 10,500-athlete quota are women — meaning that Paris 2024 is the first time in history an almost equal number of men and women are competing at a Summer Games.
The final registered numbers released by the IOC show that 5,712 male athletes and 5,503 female athletes are on a quest for gold this year, compared to the just 22 women and 975 men who participated in 1900.
