ALBANY, N.Y.—Olympic medalists and YouTube sensations will be gathering here in the coming days for the Aurora Games, an inaugural all-female athletic competition in seven sports.

International broadcast contracts have been signed for the various matches. Track legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and gymnast Nadia Comaneci will serve as honorary captains, and will speak at forums about what led them to success. But a big question ahead of the six-day event, which is designed to showcase women athletes at the top of their game, is...