Birmingham 2022 to award more medals to women than men

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will make global sport history by becoming the first ever major multi-sport event to award more medals to women than men. It’s truly a grand moment of universality and gender equality in sport.

The medal event program confirms there will be 136 medal events for women and 134 for men. This will see the Birmingham 2022 Games go one step further than the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, when there were an equal number of medals for women and men.

The Bahamas has competed at 14 Commonwealth Games, missing only two, 1974 and 1986, since the country’s initial appearance in 1954 – the first quadrennial period that it was changed from the British Empire Games.

Birmingham 2022’s sports program includes T20 cricket for women for the first time at a Commonwealth Games, with eight teams competing at the internationally renowned Edgbaston Stadium, in Birmingham, England.

There will be 13 mixed events, more than ever before, including synchronised 3m (meters) springboard diving and synchronised 10m platform diving, swimming relays, and para athletics relays.

Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) President Romell Knowles said it’s always a great moment for sports when women are highlighted.

“Birmingham 2022 is certainly living up to expectations. This is the third time that England would have hosted the games and with this type of experience where they are setting a standard of gender equality, we anticipate that the games will be spectacular,” said Knowles. “The addition of women’s cricket tips the medals in favor of the women and this is something that is a welcomed addition. It’s a great day to see women taking their rightful place in sports.”

The 10km (kilometers) race walks for men and women, which will take place on the track at the redeveloped Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, have also been added to the athletics program.

The games will also feature more para sport events than any previous Commonwealth Games, with wheelchair basketball 3×3 included in the integrated program for the first time, alongside para athletics, para swimming, para cycling track, para table tennis, para triathlon, para lawn bowls and para powerlifting.

Para athletics events like the 100m T33/34 and para swimming events like the 100m breaststroke SB6 are added for the first time.

The Birmingham 2022 medals milestone was marked at the end of October with a day of special talks titled “It’s Our Time”, broadcasted on the Birmingham 2022 Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Hosted by Olympic 400m medalist Katharine Merry, of Great Britain, the event brought together several generations of female athletes who discussed the role of women’s sport in striving for equality, what Birmingham 2022 is doing to advance the profile of women’s and para sport, and what still needs to be done to ensure equal representation in the industry.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Birmingham 2022 Ian Reid said: “Our event program has been specifically designed to reach new audiences and champion the growth of women’s sport. I am certain that fans will come in droves to cheer on the most diverse range of events ever held at a Commonwealth Games, showcasing more female and para athletes than ever before. With this program, we are seizing an opportunity to raise the profile of the games and the West Midlands and celebrate the diversity that the region and the Commonwealth Games movement is known for.”

President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Dame Louise Martin said: “It is very special that the Commonwealth Games will be the first major multi-sport event in history with more medals for women than men. It will also be the largest ever integrated para sport program, which will ensure that Birmingham 2022 will be a truly historic, inclusive and unforgettable 11 days of sport. We remain on track to host one of the world’s greatest sporting competitions and deliver a games that will leave a lasting legacy for Birmingham, the West Midlands, the country and the Commonwealth.”

The daily schedule for Birmingham 2022, outlining which sports will be held on each of the 11 days of competition, was revealed last week and is available to view at www.birmingham2022.com. The games, which will be held from July 28 to August 8, 2022, will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the city, the region and its people on the global stage. It will be the largest sports event to be held in the United Kingdom (UK) since the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games and the biggest event the West Midlands has ever staged.

It is anticipated to be an event for everyone, bringing people together from across Birmingham and the region, to provide a warm welcome to millions of visitors during the summer of 2022.

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