Putting Women on More Equal Footing at the Olympics

Nikita Ducarroz of France, an elite BMX rider, once spun and whipped her bike through audacious freestyle moves in almost total isolation at international competitions.

“Four years ago, there might be eight women at major World Cup events,” she said about the tournaments held by the International Cycling Union.

Then, in 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that men’s and women’s BMX freestyle park riding would be added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, instantly upending the women’s side of the sport.

“Suddenly, so many new girls got interested in riding,” said Ducarroz, 24, who will represent Switzerland at the Games. “A few years ago, I could name every other woman who was…