Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), revealed that his organization updated its camera guidelines to address issues of gender bias during the games. 

OBS, responsible for the global TV coverage of the Olympics, faced criticism for perpetuating stereotypes through its broadcast practices, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported

Exarchos noted that despite these changes, unconscious biases still persist among camera operators. 

“Unfortunately, some events continue to reflect stereotypes and sexism, evident in the way camera operators frame men and women athletes differently,” Exarchos told reporters in Paris. 

He stressed that women athletes should be showcased for their elite athleticism, not for their appearance.

Exarchos highlighted that biases often manifest in camera work, with women frequently receiving more close-up shots than their male counterparts. 

To address these biases, Paris Olympic organizers implemented several changes, including scheduling adjustments to spotlight women’s events. 

Notably, the women’s marathon will conclude the games, a reversal from traditional scheduling practices where men’s events often take precedence.

Exarchos criticized historical practices that prioritized men’s events, stating, “The schedules of sporting events have traditionally been biased towards highlighting men's events.” 

Marie Sallois, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) director for gender equality, celebrated the Paris Games as “de facto the world’s largest platform to promote gender equality in and through sport.” 

She pointed to symbolic moments during the opening ceremony, including the inclusion of both male and female flag bearers for nearly all delegations and a tribute to influential women in French history.

The Paris Olympics made history as the first Games in 128 years to achieve gender parity among athletes, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the modern Games. 

For the first time, equal representation of male and female athletes is a reality, accompanied by increased prime-time broadcast coverage for women’s sports to elevate its profile.

The shift towards gender parity contrasts sharply with the 1924 Paris Olympics, where only four percent of competitors were women, limited to sports deemed “appropriate” for them.