From being non-existent at the first modern Olympics to being nearly half of the total competitors in current edition, women athletes have come a long way and the London Games are surely abuzz with women power.
From
the inclusion of women's boxing and allowing women to be represented in
every Olympic sport, to 16-year-old Chinese swimming sensation Ye
Shiwen smashing the world record for both women and men, this edition of
the greatest sporting extravaganza has the women in their element.
With
nearly 45 percent female athletes, for the first time in the Olympics'
116-year history, every competing nation has at least one woman athlete.
Thirty-four nations, including the USA, sent teams with more female
athletes than male.
International Olympic Committee president
Jacques Rogge received a loud ovation at the Opening Ceremony when he
noted the rising status of women in the Olympic movement, calling the
2012 Games "a major boost for gender equality."
The confluence of positive events
for women included the historic decisions of Saudi Arabia, Brunei and
Qatar -- the final three male-only holdouts in the Olympic world -- to
bring in at least one female athlete to the Games.
Amidst all the
frenzy, Saudi Arabian female judoka, Wojdan Ali Shaherkani, hogged the
limelight the most, even though she competed for just 82 seconds before
being eliminated by her Puerto Rican opponent.
"Hopefully this
will be the start of bigger participation for other sports also.
Hopefully this is the beginning of a new era," Shaherkani said after her
historic bout.
The first Olympic events for women were held at
the Paris Games of 1900. Of the 997 athletes, 22 were female, and they
participated in tennis, golf, croquet, sailing and equestrian.
