Los Angeles Set to Host First Olympics with Female Majority
Los Angeles is preparing to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which will mark a historic milestone: it will be the first Olympic Games to feature more female athletes than male athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the event program and athlete quotas on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, paving the way for this unprecedented gender balance.
The IOC announced a total athlete quota of 10,500 across 31 core sports, mirroring the Paris 2024 Games, which achieved gender parity. However, with the addition of five new sports – cricket, flag football, lacrosse, skateboarding, and breaking – the total number of Olympians participating in the Los Angeles Games will reach 11,198. Of these, 50.5% will be female, totaling 5,651 athletes, while 49.5% will be male, with 5,547 athletes.
This shift towards greater female representation is particularly evident in several sports. The women’s soccer tournament will expand to include 16 countries, compared to 12 for the men’s tournament – a first for the Olympics. FIFA had previously called for 12 women’s teams and 16 men’s teams. Water polo and boxing will also see equal quota spots for both men and women, with 12 teams participating in water polo and seven weight classes for each competition in boxing.
The decision to prioritize female participation comes as women’s sports continue to gain popularity and recognition. IOC sport director Kit McConnell cited high ticket demand for women’s events in Paris, comparable or higher broadcast numbers than men’s sports, increased media coverage, and greater international investment in women’s sports as key factors driving this change. He described the move as “a complete package,” emphasizing that it is “all merit-based and all reflected in both participation and popularity.”
The progress extends beyond athlete numbers. The 2028 Games will also be the first to be led by a female president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe. Coventry will formally assume the role in June, succeeding Thomas Bach after 131 years of male leadership.
While celebrating this milestone, experts acknowledge that achieving true equity in sports requires more than just equal representation. A 2022 Gender Equity Review highlighted that women’s sports are often undervalued, undersold, and lack the same level of funding, media coverage, coaching access, and cultural respect as men’s sports. This disparity is often rooted in the historical dominance of men in sports leadership and the resulting biases in media portrayal and investment.
Julie Uhrman, CEO and co-founder of Angel City Football Club, emphasized the importance of creating an engaging and entertaining experience for fans to attract investment and attention to women’s sports. She noted that building a successful franchise requires thinking beyond traditional approaches and focusing on spectacle, similar to the “Showtime” era of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Iliana Limon Romero, assistant managing editor for sports at the Los Angeles Times, highlighted the changing landscape of sports journalism, noting that the 2028 Olympic coverage will be led by a female executive editor and a female managing editor. This reflects a broader trend towards greater female leadership in media organizations.
As Victoria Jackson, ASU sports historian and Great Game Lab Co-Director, noted, each generation of women athletes has played a role in advancing the cause of gender equity in sports, leaving the sports world in a better place than they found it. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics represent a significant step forward in this ongoing journey, but the work of ensuring equal opportunity and recognition for female athletes is far from over.
