Eight women's teams will compete for the medals at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Wolfgang Philipps (28.10.2005) A bid to introduce 50 metres races in Breaststroke, Butterfly and Backstroke in the 2008 Beijing Games was rejected by the International Olympic Committee, but FINA officials were satified nevertheless, as because all the five aquatics disciplines - swimming, diving, waterpolo, synchronised swimming and open water swimming - will now be represented in the Olympic Games competition programme. "This decision highlights the added-value of the Aquatic disciplines within the Olympic programme. At the same time, it represents an additional responsibility for FINA, which together with its National Federations and Continental Associations will continue working for the development of our Sport worldwide," said FINA President Mustapha Larfaoui.

After a long fight for Olympic merits the first women's waterpolo tournament was contested at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia with six teams. At the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece eight nations were competing for the medals, but with more restrictions by continental representatives. In the meantime there were discussions to bring the number of participating teams at least to ten, the same number as in women's volleyball, handball and basketball. Increasements in other sports are mainly caused by the elimimation of baseball and softball from the Olympic programme; two shooting competitions were kicked out as well. Men's waterpolo will consist of twelve teams again; this number was introduced at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany.

"The programme commission aimed to provide the executive board with recommendations based on a fair and wide analysis of the situation with an emphasis on the relevance of events and disciplines for future generations as well as the participation of women," IOC communications director Giselle Davies said. The changes agreed by the EB will lead to an increase in the number of female athletes by approximately 80. "This number will be included within the total number of 10,500 athletes through a final decision on quota per sport which will be made at the next EB meeting." At the Athens Olympics in 2004, 41 percent of the athletes were women. The IOC threw out a request from the International Tennis Federation to introduce mixed doubles at the Beijing Games.