In ancient Greece, women were barred from Olympic competition under penalty of death. In the Paris revival of 1900, they could only wear clothing that covered their legs.
In 2012, for the first time in the history of the modern Olympic Games, women will be competing in every sport contested by men.
But that doesn’t mean all the gender-based arguments have come to an end. Should women boxers wear skirts? Should beach-volleyball players wear shorts and t-shirts instead of bikinis?