Which Sports Are Being Cut and Added for 2028 L.A. Olympics?

As Paris passes the torch to Los Angeles as the host of the 2028 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already adjusted the event schedule.

In 2023, the IOC approved proposals for five new sports at the 2028 Olympics, some of which — including lacrosse and cricket — haven’t been seen at the games for over 100 years. As of August 2024, those five sports have been approved for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“LA28’s proposed sports ignite the imagination on the field of play and drive culture off it. They’re relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centers, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe,” said LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman in a press release last year. “They will bring new athletes to the Games, engage diverse fanbases and expand the Games’ presence in digital spaces, further amplifying LA28’s mission to deliver an unparalleled experience.”

Keep reading to see which sports are in, out and making a comeback at the 2028 LA Olympics:

Flag Football

Flag football, a no-contact sport that plays in teams of five, will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in 2028 in both the men’s and women’s divisions. While the U.S. flag football women’s team is the reigning world champion two times over, Mexico defeated Team USA and took home the title at the 2022 World Games.

Squash

Squash will also make its debut at the Olympics in 2028, though it appeared as a demonstration at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, which were held in Buenos Aires. Squash is a racket sport played by two people within four enclosed walls. The first player to reach a score of 11 wins a game, and the first to win three games wins the whole match.

Lacrosse

Lacrosse will return to the Olympics for the third time in the Games’ history in the form of Lacrosse Sixes, a more fast-paced version of field lacrosse for the modern player. The ancient sport only previously appeared at the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games. World Lacrosse president Sue Redfern said in a statement to World Lacrosse in 2023 that its inclusion in the 2028 Olympics is a “seminal achievement” for the sport.

“After decades of hard work and dedication, lacrosse is back on the Olympic stage at LA28,” Redfern said. “This is a pivotal moment for our sport, marking the start of a new era that will inspire future generations of lacrosse players worldwide.”

Cricket

Cricket appeared once at the Paris Olympics in 1900 and was never brought back. However, the 2028 Olympics will take the bat-and-ball team sport into the 21st century as cricket makes its return to the Games for the first time in over 100 years. Per the Olympics website, the suggested format to be played in Los Angeles will be Twenty20 (or T20), with 11 players on each team.

Baseball/Softball

Baseball and softball will return to the Olympics in 2028 as a combined sport with two events: men’s baseball and women’s softball. However, baseball/softball events will not be hosted in Los Angeles come 2028 but will be held in Oklahoma City, per NBC Los Angeles, to make use of existing sports facilities.

While both sports are related, they were historically separated at the Olympic level with baseball as a men-only sport and softball as women-only.

Baseball appeared first as a demonstration before it was officially included in the Olympic program at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Softball, however, was introduced during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 as a women-only event. It wasn’t until Tokyo 2020 that they returned as a combined sport: baseball/softball.

Breaking

Breaking will not make its way to Los Angeles four years after its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While viral breakout star Raygun (real name Rachael Gunn) of Australia made a splash with her unique style of breaking, the event seemingly didn’t make enough of an impression to bring the sport back for a second time around.

Boxing

The IOC has not formally removed boxing from the 2028 Los Angeles Games, but without a current global governing body for the sport, it is in danger of being left out of the next summer Olympics.

Up until 2020, the International Boxing Association (IBA) was the governing body responsible for overseeing regulations involving qualifications and competition within the Olympics. However, due to allegations of corruption and failures to implement reforms around governance and finance, the IOC stripped the IBA of recognition in 2023.

“We would love to see boxing, we want to see boxing on the program in LA,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said in a press conference in August 2024. “Now it is up to the boxing community to organize themselves for the sport and for the athletes.”