27.07.2016 - 08:09
There are more women than men in Australia’s Rio Olympic team, marking the first time females have dominated selection for a Summer Games.
The women’s eight rowing team was added to the team after a Russian doping disqualification, meaning 212 places on the 419-strong contingent are taken up by women.
Except for the 283 Australian women who competed at Sydney 2000, this year’s group is the biggest in Olympic history.
“Gender balance has been something that has been incredibly important in the Olympic movement, and particularly to Australia,” said Kitty Chiller, who is Australia’s first female chef de mission.
“It was only at the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010 that Australia reached gender parity for the first time (31 women and 29 men), and it is a proud achievement to reach a stage where there are more females than males on this team.”
“It’s a very strong statement [and] it shows that women’s sport is genuine sport. It is elite competition just as much as the male has been over time,” she added.
More at ABCnews
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