SEVEN new events will be included in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which witnesses the highest representation of female athletes at a single Winter Games to date.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on Wednesday approved the addition of women’s monobob and freestyle ski big air, as well as dynamic mixed team formats including short track mixed relay, a ski jumping mixed team event, mixed team aerials and a snowboard cross mixed team event.

“The addition of these new events for Beijing 2022 reflects our continued commitment to making the Olympic Games programs more youthful and gender balanced,” said IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell.

“I am very pleased to see the increase of female athletes, especially in such exciting, ground-breaking events. At the same time, we are sending a message that the size of the Olympic Winter Games is being directly addressed,” he added.

Beijing 2022 will see more female athletes and women’s events than any other Winter Olympics, with female quota positions increasing from 41 percent to 45.44 percent.

With this decision, skating joins the International Federations of Biathlon and Curling in reaching gender equality on their Olympic programs, while the Bobsleigh and Skeleton, Hockey, Luge and Ski federations have all increased female participation.

The overall number of athletes has been reduced by 41 to reach 2,892, which is within the charter framework.

With no new venues or fields of play needed for the new events, the program is in line with recommendations set out in Olympic Agenda 2020 and is another step to reduce the overall size of the Games.

(Xinhua)