The Paris Olympics had its fair share of jaw-dropping moments—some athletes made history, while others found themselves caught in the storm of controversy. One name that had the internet buzzing? Imane Khelif. She gained immense popularity after she delivered a knockout performance in her first round against Angela Carini of Italy, whom she defeated in just 46 seconds. However, the journey has not been easy for Khelif, especially with some barriers that she faced along the way.

Together with Taiwanese boxer Lian Yu-ting, she was expelled from the World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, in 2023 after the International Boxing Association decided that both athletes did not pass the gender eligibility test, an action that the International Olympic Committee referred to as the ‘sudden and arbitrary decision.’

The twist? Khelif isn’t transgender or inters-x. According to GLAAD and InterACT, she has differences of s—xual development (DSD), which is not the same thing at all. Finally, she was permitted to compete and perform on the biggest stage possible. And now, just when the sports world has thought that the debate had reached its climax, the former World Athletics Chief and aspiring IOC member Sebastian Coe, has chimed in on the escalating gender issue in sports.

According to a report from abc.net.au, seven candidates have come forward to vie for the position of the International Olympic Committee president and explain why they should be the one to lead one of the most influential positions in sports. Among them? Sebastian Coe—the man with the name that echoes most for the Aussies and a favorite to succeed Thomas Bach, the outgoing IOC head. As the world looks forward to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics following LA 2028, the hurdles are piling up–there’s the ever-unfolding conflict in Eastern Europe and the debate over Russian athletes, the never-ending discussions about gender in sports.

But if there’s one topic where Coe doesn’t dance around, it’s gender in sports. “I’m sorry, gender cannot trump biology. I say that because if you do not protect and promote the integrity of women’s sports, you simply do not have women’s sport.” He’s not backing down, and if history tells us anything, he rarely does when it comes to the big calls.

During his tenure at World Athletics, Coe made it clear—protecting the integrity of women’s sports was non-negotiable. “Under my watch at World Athletics, I was not going to allow that to happen. And sometimes you have to make tough decisions and those decisions don’t always meet with the approval of everybody.” Whether you agree with him or not, one thing’s for sure—if Coe lands the top job at the IOC, his leadership will come with bold choices, and he’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers along the way. And coming to gender talks, the Paris Olympics even set a milestone!

Paris Olympics sets new standards for equality

As per NBC Olympics report from July 2024, in 1900 Paris broke barriers and invited women in the Olympics as the first city to do so in the grand stage of competition. Fast forward 124 years and Paris was all set to light up more on another viable feature. The 2024 Paris Olympics was not only about winning gold but about creating history and equality on the field for all. For the first time, the Games achieved a record of numerical equality of male and female athletes.

The road to this moment wasn’t built overnight. It took over a century of pushing boundaries, shattering ceilings, and rewriting history books. Back in Berlin in 1936, women made up a mere 8.4% of the athletes. In 1991, a new rule was introduced that ensured any sport applying for the Olympics must include women’s events. By the time the Olympics were hosted in Tokyo in 2020, the number of women had risen to 47.8% which is as close as the Olympics has ever been to having equal representation. And Tokyo didn’t stop there. It added 18 mixed events, provided more chances with new events such as the women’s 1500m freestyle swimming and canoe sprint, and incorporated new sports like karate, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing for women.

Tokyo also set the stage for more visibility, rolling out a rule change that let male and female athletes share the honor of carrying their nation’s flag during the Opening Ceremony. The result? In London, 91% of NOCs had a female flag bearer, which set the basis for the Paris 2024 historic performance. It is for this reason that the future of women’s sports on the Olympic scene has never been brighter than it is today.