There will be full gender parity in cycling at the 2024 Olympics
The Paris Olympics will feature equal numbers of male and female cyclists
On Monday, the UCI announced that the 2024 Paris Olympic Games would invite an equal number of female and male cyclists to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The motion was approved when the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met to discuss and approve the event programme for the Games.
514 athletes will compete in cycling events at the 2024 Olympics—257 men and 257 women. Some disciplines have already achieved parity for the 2020 Olympics—mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle Park all had equal numbers of men and women, but road and track had a some catching up to do.
Reductions and additions
Since Athens 2004, the women’s road cycling quota has remained at 67 athletes, while the men’s quota was 130 in 2020. The move to balance the number of athletes in both categories has resulted in a slight reduction in the overall number of road cyclists attending them Games (180 down from 197). 90 men and 90 women will race on the road in Paris—the opportunity for female racers has grown substantially, while there will be much stiffer competition to decide who will race in the men’s category.
In track, the women’s sprint teams will increase from two to three (the same number as the men’s teams). 95 women and 95 men will compete in the track cycling events at Paris 2024, a slight change from the 98 men and 91 women in Tokyo.
“It gives us great satisfaction to achieve what is a key objective of our Agenda 2022. Gender parity at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 sends out a strong message to our athletes and society as a whole,” said UCI president David Lappartient. “The UCI is committed to a policy of equal representation of women and men both on the field of play and in governance.”
Although more women will compete at the 2024 Olympics, there will be fewer cyclists racing overall. The UCI says that, in line with the IOC’s 2020 Olympic Agenda, the number of athletes taking part in the Games will be reduced across sports. Compared to the (rescheduled) 2020 Games, 14 fewer cyclists will compete at the 2024 Olympics. While BMX Freestyle gained six competitors for 2024, mtb lost four spots and road was hit the hardest, as 17 fewer athletes will line up in four years.
