22 January 2025 – Paris 2024 was the first Olympic Games to achieve parity on the field of play, but the push for gender equality continues at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Marie Barsacq and Diana Bianchedi tell Nancy Gillen for the Olympic Review how the games can empower girls and women in sport and society.

On the final day of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Dutch endurance runner Sifan Hassan powered through the streets of the French capital to clinch a dramatic gold medal in the women’s marathon. Just hours later, Hassan was congratulated by thousands of spectators as she received her medal during the Closing Ceremony in the Stade de France.

Until that moment, it had been a tradition for the men’s marathon to take place on the last day of the Games. The decision to put the spotlight on the women’s marathon symbolised Paris 2024’s commitment to showcasing female athletes as part of a wider push for gender equality within sport and society.