The Paris Olympic Games 2024 ended after almost three weeks of thrilling action at the French capital. The Games saw the best of the athletes giving it their all for the prestigious medals on the line. The Paris Games saw breaking (breakdancing) make its debut.
With the culmination of the Paris Games, attention now starts to turn towards the next Olympics in Los Angeles in four years. There will be some changes made to the sporting program for the next quadrennial event.
Last year in October 2023, the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) and Executive Board (EB) approved to inclusion of five sports to the Olympic program.
Baseball and softball, Flag football, Lacrosse, Squash and Cricket have been added to the Olympic program for the next edition of the Games.
Baseball made its official debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games. They were played as an exhibition event in the 1900 Games and as a demonstration sport in several events between 1912 and 1988. But the official debut came in 1992. It was dropped from the 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Games but will return in Los Angeles.
Softball will also return to the Olympics after it featured recently at the Tokyo Games. The sport made its debut in Atlanta 1996 and was also played in the next three Games.
Flag football will be making its debut at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. This sport is a non-contact sport. Squash will be the other sport making its debut at the Olympics in LA 2028. They are regularly played at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and other multi-sporting event but will be played in the Olympics for the first time.
Lacrosse will return to the Olympics after 120 years. It was played at the 1904 and 1908 Games but were dropped later.
Cricket will also make a return to the Olympics for the first time after 128 years. The only time the sport featured in the Summer Games was in the 1900 Olympics when Great Britain won the event. The sport will be played in the 20-over format.
Sports that could be dropped from the LA 2028
Breaking and Boxing are set to be dropped from the Olympic program for the 2028 Games. Breaking made its debut at the Paris Games in 2024 but will not be played in Los Angeles. Boxing has been part of the Olympics for more than a century but it is not on the Los Angeles roster. The final decision on it will come next year, IOC President Thomas Bach had said.
