2 years ago
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Charlotte Bankes is predicted to win gold in Beijing, after winning gold in the World Championships this yearThe Beijing Winter Olympics will be the most gender-equal Games ever, data experts say.
Gracenote says the proportion of events in which women can compete will increase for the 11th successive Games - with 52.75% of events for men and 47.25% for women.
Women will have nearly four times as many events to participate in as they did in 1980.
The Games take place from 4-20 February.
The first Games in Chamonix, France in 1924 had only two events which women could participate - the figure skating mixed pairs competition and the ladies' singles - but 14 events for men, and had a gender gap of 81.3%.
That gap has now declined to 5.5% for Beijing, with 12 of the 15 sports now gender-equal. Nordic combined is the only remaining sport with no female participation.
The number of events for men has more than doubled from 23 at the 1980 Winter Games to 50 at Beijing 2022.
However, the number of events for women has almost quadrupled from 12 to 46 over the same period.
Meanwhile, Gracenote's latest virtual medal table predicts Norway will top the medal table for the second straight Games with 45 medals.
Great Britain are forecast to win two gold medals - Charlotte Bankes in the snowboard cross and the curling mixed doubles team.
They are also predicted a silver in the men's curling team event.
Great Britain have never won more than one gold at a Winter Olympics.
English (US)