The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on its official website that the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will be the first in history where the number of women participants will exceed the number of men - 5655 versus 5543, respectively, writes snob.ru.
This historic shift will be reflected in individual disciplines. For example, the football tournament will feature 16 women's teams, outnumbering the men's (12). Women's boxing will also be expanded with an additional weight class.
The IOC stressed: "Gender equality was a key factor in determining the athlete quota and the number of events."
The upcoming Games in the United States will feature 351 sets of medals, 22 more than at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The program will be expanded with five new sports (lacrosse, cricket, flag football, squash and baseball/softball) and six mixed team disciplines, including archery, 4x100m relay, golf, gymnastics, rowing and table tennis.
Interestingly, the winners and medalists of the 2024 Olympics returned more than 100 medals to the organizers due to defects discovered. According to the athletes, the awards were chipped and rusted, and the coating began to disappear just a few weeks after the awards ceremony.
