Distribution of male and female events at the Summer Olympics 1896-2020
In the history of the Summer Olympics, the share of events for women athletes has grown gradually; from no events at all in 1896, to a 51.3 percent share in 2020. Growth was gradual and slow, crossing the 25 percent mark in 1984, and exceeding 50 percent in 2020. It is important to note, however, that a number of these events are mixed, for both male and female competitors, and the total number of single-gender events remains slightly higher for men. The majority of sports have mirrored events for male and female competitors, and there had been an increased number of mixed events in recent years, with a particularly high number of mixed events added in Tokyo 2020.