Get ready, everyone! The Paris 2024 Olympics are making history, and it's not just about sports! 🏅 For the first time ever, there will be an equal number of female and male athletes competing. Talk about breaking barriers! 💪♀️♂️
Aurelie Merle, the Executive Director of Sport Competitions for the Paris Games, shared her excitement: \"We're super proud to be the first Olympic Games to be gender equal in Paris, where the first time in 1900 when there were women participating, there were only two percent.\"
Can you imagine? From just 2% women athletes in 1900 to 50% in 2024! That's some serious progress. 🚀
But Merle and her team didn't stop at just balancing the numbers. They wanted to ensure women's sports get the same spotlight as men's. \"We wanted to ensure that women's sport had full visibility and the same as men's sports,\" she added.
With around 10,500 athletes from all over the globe 🌍 competing in 329 events across 39 sports, organizing the schedule is like solving a giant puzzle 🧩. But the Paris team teamed up with experts and broadcasters to make sure women's events shine just as bright.
\"We worked with an expert to tell us exactly where we should put the different women's events to ensure equal visibility,\" Merle said. \"Everyone really wanted the Paris Games to be full gender parity. There will be some amazing new female events in the forefront!\"
So, mark your calendars 📅 for July 26 to August 11, 2024! The Paris Olympics are set to be a game-changer, not just in sports but in equality too. Let's cheer on all the athletes making history! 🎉
Reference(s):
Paris Games competitions director discusses historic gender parity
cgtn.com
