The 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina will be a landmark for gender equality, with more women competing than ever before. Nearly half of all athlete quota places, 47 per cent, are reserved for women, the highest proportion in Winter Games history. Of the 116 events, 50 are women’s events, and 12 are mixed, meaning women will take part in 53.4 per cent of all competitions.
The Games will also introduce four new women’s events: freestyle skiing dual moguls, luge doubles, ski jumping large hill, and ski mountaineering sprint. Twelve of the 16 sports will have equal numbers of male and female athletes, and for the first time, men and women will race the same distances in cross-country skiing.
This progress builds on decades of change. Women first competed at the Winter Olympics in 1924, making up only 4.3 per cent of athletes. Milestones since then, such as women’s ice hockey in 1998 and bobsleigh in 2002, have led to the balanced programme seen today.
The Opening Ceremony also reflects equality, with 73 per cent of nations at Beijing 2022 having a female flag bearer. The Milano Cortina Games will continue this trend. Gender equality extends to leadership and volunteers, with women making up 45 per cent of senior roles, 48 per cent of the wider workforce, and 55 per cent of volunteers.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry says protecting the female category and ensuring fairness is essential, using a scientific approach and consulting international federations. Former IOC president Thomas Bach notes progress from 40 per cent female participation at Sochi 2014 to 47 per cent in Milano Cortina, calling the Games a key milestone for gender equality.
The IOC and the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee aim to make these Games a defining moment for women in sport, creating new opportunities and pathways to leadership, and continuing the journey toward equality in future Olympics.
