The Program of the 2028 Olympics What Will Change in Los Angeles

After the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, the relay was officially passed to Los Angeles. It is there that the next Summer Games will take place from July 14 to July 30, 2028. It is already known which sports will appear in the program for the first time and which, on the contrary, will disappear.

The Olympic movement is gradually shifting its focus. Youth oriented disciplines such as surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing have proven their popularity in recent years and will remain in the program. In Los Angeles they will be joined by five additional sports: flag football, squash, baseball and softball, cricket, and lacrosse. The International Olympic Committee explains this decision by noting that these sports not only reflect the sporting culture of the United States but also help attract new audiences to the Games. For flag football and squash, participation in the Olympics will be a debut. Cricket and lacrosse are returning after more than a century, while baseball and softball appear at the Games periodically. They were last seen at the Tokyo Olympics.

Some disciplines, however, will be removed. Breaking, which made its Olympic debut in Paris, is not included in the Los Angeles program. The fate of boxing remains uncertain. The IOC has suspended recognition of the international boxing federation, and the final decision on the sport’s inclusion has been postponed. Changes will also affect the modern pentathlon. Instead of show jumping, the 2028 Games will feature an obstacle course event. This is part of an effort to modernize the sport following criticism and scandals related to the treatment of horses at the Tokyo Olympics.

According to the IOC, the final list of disciplines will be approved by early 2025. However, it is already clear that the Los Angeles program will be one of the most diverse and most oriented toward new sporting trends.