The five sports coming to the next Olympics, and the ones being left behind
Breaking had a headline-making Olympic debut in Paris, but Los Angeles is not keen for a repeat. Photo: Getty Photo: Getty
With the Paris Olympics barely over and Paralympics still ahead, anticipation is already ramping up for Los Angeles 2028 – but not all of this year’s events will make the cut.
It is not unusual for the Olympic Games to switch things up.
After all, Athens’ 1896 revival of the Olympics featured 43 events, while Paris 2024 held 329 medal events.
At certain points in modern Olympics history, competitions encompassed everything from architecture to music.
Host cities’ Olympic planning authorities are allowed to propose and hold optional events outside of the Games’ permanent programming.
The five sports added to the 2028 Games were proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee as a package solely for its edition of the Games, and were reviewed and supported by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Programme Commission and Executive Board.
“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.
“These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique.
“Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”
Read on to find out what sports are coming to Los Angeles 2028, and what sports will be left behind.
In: Lacrosse
A sport that was originally a cultural and spiritual practice among Indigenous North American communities, lacrosse has not been featured in the Olympic program since 1908.
More than a century later, a modified version will be played during Los Angeles 2028.
The fast-paced lacrosse sixes format will see six players per team play in a game divided into four eight-minute quarters, with a 30-second shot clock to ensure continuous action and quick transitions.
Out: Breaking
Breaking made its Olympic debut this year in Paris, but its impact wasn’t enough to snag a place on the Los Angeles program.
“It was disappointing it was decided that it wouldn’t be in LA, particularly before we even had a chance to show it,” said Australian b-girl Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, whose performance in Paris sparked heated debate.
“I think that was possibly a little premature. I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now.”
In: Cricket
Cricket has only featured in the Games once before, in 1900.
In 2028, the T20 format will be played.
The shortest of the three formats played at the international level, T20 cricket features both sides batting for 20 overs (120 legal balls) unless they are bowled out by the fielding team.
Possibly out: Boxing
Boxing is on the verge of being left out of the next Games after the IOC withdrew recognition of the Russia-affiliated International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023 after the latter failed to reform its governance and finances.
National boxing federations will need to create a new global boxing body in order for the event to be included at Los Angeles 2028.
World Boxing may step in to fill the void, with the organisation expecting to expand its membership base from 37 to at least 50 national federations in coming weeks.
World Boxing president Boris Van Der Vorst told The Associated Press he was leaving Paris confident his sport could pull off “the greatest comeback story ever in the Olympic movement”.
The final decision on boxing’s inclusion in the next Games must be made in 2025.
In: Flag football
Flag football, a variant of American football, will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles.
The no-contact sport features ‘tackles’ made by removing one of three fabric ‘flags’ attached to the ball carrier’s waist, with the main aim for each team being to advance up the pitch through offensive plays into the opposition’s defensive end zone.
During a match, there are five players on each team on the field, drawn from the teams’ respective 12-person squads.
In: Squash
Another sport set to make its Olympic debut, aside from an appearance as a demonstration sport at the Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, is squash.
Squash is played between two players with racquets and rubber balls.
In competitions, the first player to 11 points – with at least a two-point advantage – wins a game.
A point is scored on each rally, with serve going to the winner of the point.
The first player to three games wins the match.
In: Baseball and Softball
Baseball has made several Olympic appearances since being included as a medal event in Barcelona 1992.
Having last featured during Tokyo 2020, it will return in its traditional format for the next Games.
In the Olympics, only men’s teams play baseball.
Softball, a variation of baseball, also enjoyed its last Olympic feature during Tokyo 2020, after being introduced to the Games during Atlanta 1996.
At the Olympic level, only women’s teams play softball.
Since Tokyo 2020, the Olympics have referred to baseball and softball as a pair; each is almost considered the men’s and women’s version of the same event, respectively.
Some major differences between the sports include the number of innings (baseball has nine, softball has seven), and softball players only being allowed to throw underhand when pitching, while baseball players can throw overhand.
