Seven new women’s events and categories will be added to the programme for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, putting them on a par with the men, organisers said Friday.
There will be an additional +90kg category in the women’s weightlifting, three new women’s boxing events (45kg–48kg, 54-57kg and +75kg) and three new women’s track cycling events (keirin, team sprint and team pursuit).
It means that for the first time at a major multi-sportGames there will be an equal number of events for men and women, officials said, with the total number of medals up for grabs at Gold Coast 2018 a Games-high 275.
“We’ve come a long way since the first Games in 1930, when women competed in just seven (or 12 percent of) medal events,” Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin said in a statement.
“The last edition of the Games in Glasgow created the highest-ever percentage of medal events for women (48.5 percent), placing true gender equality in medal opportunities at the Games clearly within reach.
“This is a significant step towards the realisation of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s vision for gender equality.”
The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games takes place from April 4-15, 2018. – Agence France-Presse
