African Female Athletes Overcome Challenges to Compete in 2024 Paris Olympics

In Summary

• The 2024 Paris Olympics marks the first time the International Olympic Committee has achieved full gender parity, with female athletes now present in equal numbers to male athletes.
• Several dozen African women, including South African canoeist Esti Olivier and Kenyan middle-distance runner Lilian Odira, are among the competitors, many having overcome significant social and economic challenges to participate.
• Female athletes from Africa face numerous challenges, including lack of support, training with male counterparts, juggling personal life and sports, and ongoing issues of unequal pay and discrimination.
• Kenya and South Africa are sending the largest contingents of female athletes from Africa, with hopes to surpass the 17 medals won by African women in the previous Tokyo Olympics.

Cape Town, South Africa- The 2024 Olympics will commence Friday in Paris, with over 10,000 athletes vying for gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Among these athletes are numerous women from African nations, many of whom have faced significant social and economic obstacles to reach this prestigious event.

For the first time in history, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has achieved full gender parity at this year's Olympics. Female athletes, who once constituted only about 2% of Olympic participants, now match their male counterparts in numbers.

In the Tokyo Olympics held three years ago, women made up 48% of the athletes, despite the event being delayed by a year due to COVID-19.

Several dozen African women are among the competitors this year. One notable athlete is Esti Olivier from South Africa's canoe team. Olivier, who missed the Tokyo Games due to physical and mental health issues, will compete in the Olympics for the first time.

"It's about keeping focus now and not being overwhelmed by the enormous atmosphere that the Olympics brings but enjoying small increments and moments every step of the way for me at this stage," Olivier remarked. "We still [have] two weeks before we compete, and I am sure the closer I get to that, the more the nerves will kick in. But at this stage, it is just excitement to get to Paris."

Canoeing is a relatively unpopular sport in Africa, yet teams from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia will represent the continent at the Olympics. Olivier highlighted the difficulties of training as a female canoeist in South Africa, where she often had to train with men due to the lack of female participants.

"Much of this journey I've done by myself and because there are so few females participating in canoe sprints in South Africa,” she said. “I've always had to train among men. So, it's definitely a challenge. The lack of support is a challenge. And just juggling private life with sports, you know, just because we can't only focus on being an athlete. As a woman, I have to also be a wife."

Despite the advancements made by female athletes, challenges such as unequal pay, discrimination, and inadequate training conditions continue to hinder progress. Middle-distance runner Lilian Odira of Kenya, who is competing in the 800 meters, described her arduous journey to Paris as ultimately rewarding.

"Sports opened so many doors for me,” Odira stated. “It's given me the confidence to be who I am. It's given me the confidence to speak out against injustices that I might witness at any point in time. It's given me the opportunity to be an absolute role model to young girls wanting to achieve something big in their lives, showing them that even with controversy in difficult times or various roles that you have to put on, it's still possible to chase your dream. If you really put your mind to it, it's possible."

Besides aiming to win a medal, Odira aspires to surpass her personal best time of 1 minute and 59 seconds. She expressed her enjoyment of being an Olympic athlete, noting the global recognition and various benefits it brings.

Kenya is sending around 20 female athletes to Paris, second only to South Africa, which is sending 24. African women secured 17 medals in Tokyo and hope to increase their tally in France.