African female athletes eyes Olympic medals in Paris

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The 2024 Olympics begin Friday, with more than 10,000 athletes gathering in Paris dreaming of winning gold, silver or bronze. Among them will be dozens of women from African countries, many of whom have overcome major social and economic challenges to get to Paris.

For the first time in history, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, said it achieved full gender parity on the field of play at this year's Olympics.

Female athletes, who once made up only about 2% of Olympic competitors, are now present in the same numbers as men. They accounted for 48% of the athletes at the Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, which was delayed a year because of COVID.

Several dozen African women are among those who will compete. One is Esti Olivier, a member of South Africa?s canoe team. She will compete at the Olympics for the first time after missing the Tokyo Games because of physical and mental health problems.

"It's about keeping focus now and not being overwhelmed by the enormous atmosphere that the Olympics brings but enjoying small increments and moments every step of the way for me at this stage,? Olivier said. ?We still [have] two weeks before we compete and I am sure the closer I get to that, the more the nerves will kick in. But at this stage it is just excitement to get to Paris."

Canoeing is not a popular sport in Africa. However, canoe teams from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia will represent the continent at the Olympics.