Los Angeles 2028: Breaking Down the New Sports and Events Joining the Olympic Program

The road to the 2028 Summer Games is taking a distinctively American turn. As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world back to the City of Angels, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved a sport program that blends deep historical nostalgia with a modern push for global appeal. For sports fans and athletes, the most critical question is no longer if the program will change, but exactly which disciplines will define the LA28 experience.

The 2028 Olympic Games will feature a significant expansion of the competitive landscape, introducing a mix of returning classics and brand-new debuts. By integrating five additional sports proposed by the LA28 Organizing Committee, the Games are positioning themselves to capture a younger, more diverse audience while leveraging the massive infrastructure of Southern California.

The Five Additional Sports: Returns and Debuts

Following the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee, five specific sports were ratified for inclusion in the Los Angeles program. These additions are designed to reflect the culture of the host city and the evolving interests of a global sporting public.

Cricket (T20)

In one of the most anticipated returns in Olympic history, cricket will rejoin the program after a gap of 126 years. To fit the fast-paced nature of the Olympics, the Games will feature the T20 format—a shorter, more explosive version of the game that has seen a meteoric rise in popularity globally, particularly in South Asia and the UK.

Flag Football

Making its official Olympic debut, flag football brings a non-contact version of America’s most popular sport to the world stage. This move is seen as a strategic effort to engage the North American market and provide a gender-equal entry point for athletes globally, as the sport has grown rapidly in international popularity.

Lacrosse (Sixes)

Lacrosse returns to the Olympic fold for the first time in 118 years. However, the traditional game has been streamlined into Sixes, a faster, smaller-sided version of the sport played on a smaller field. This format is designed to increase scoring, speed up the pace of play, and make the sport more spectator-friendly for a global audience.

Baseball and Softball

After being absent from the Paris 2024 program, baseball and softball make their return. This is a homecoming for the sports in a city that lives and breathes them. Baseball will observe a six-team tournament, while softball will also return to provide a comprehensive diamond-sports presence in the 2028 Games.

Squash

Squash makes its long-awaited Olympic debut in 2028. Known for its intensity and high physical demand, the addition of squash adds a high-speed racket sport to the program, further diversifying the indoor athletic offerings of the Games.

By the Numbers: The Scale of LA28

The inclusion of these sports isn’t just about variety; it’s about scale. The LA28 program is shaping up to be one of the largest in Olympic history.

• Total Medal Events: 351 medal events are planned, which is 22 more than the 329 events contested at the Paris 2024 Games.
• Athlete Quotas: The core athlete quota remains at 10,500, but the IOC has allocated an additional 698 quota places specifically to accommodate the five proposed additional sports.
• Historical Gap: The return of cricket (126 years) and lacrosse (118 years) marks the longest absences of any sport returning to the modern Olympic program.

Venue Strategy: Leveraging the City of Angels

One of the most efficient aspects of the LA28 plan is the use of existing, world-class venues. Rather than building expensive “white elephant” stadiums, Los Angeles is utilizing its professional sports infrastructure.

For baseball fans, the return of the sport is highlighted by the use of Dodger Stadium, one of the most iconic venues in professional sports. This ensures a high-capacity, high-energy atmosphere for the six-team tournament. Meanwhile, other events will be distributed across the region to maximize the “Olympic footprint” and engage local communities.

Note for global travelers: Los Angeles operates on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which is UTC-7. For viewers in Europe and Asia, this typically means events will air late at night or in the early morning hours.

What This Means for the Olympic Movement

The shift toward “additional sports” reflects a broader IOC strategy to keep the Games relevant in a digital, fast-paced era. By introducing T20 cricket and Flag Football, the IOC is targeting demographics that may not have previously engaged with the Olympics. The focus on “Sixes” lacrosse and T20 cricket specifically shows a trend toward shorter, more condensed formats that fit better into broadcast windows and social media consumption.

the emphasis on gender equality is central to the LA28 program. The addition of these sports is designed to ensure a balanced number of medal opportunities for both male and female athletes, aligning with the IOC’s goal of achieving full gender parity across the event program.

Quick Reference: New Sports Summary

Looking Ahead

As the countdown to 2028 continues, the focus will shift from program approval to qualification. National governing bodies for cricket, squash, and flag football are now tasked with developing high-performance pathways to ensure their athletes are ready for the world’s biggest stage.

The next major milestone for the Games will be the release of detailed qualification systems and the finalization of the event calendar. For the most accurate and up-to-date information on athlete quotas and qualifying windows, fans should monitor the official IOC news portal.

Do you think the addition of T20 cricket and flag football will make the 2028 Games more appealing? Let us know in the comments below.