Baseball/Softball, T20 Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse (Sixes) and Squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).
The decision has been taken by the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The five sports were proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee as a package for their edition of the Games only, and were reviewed and supported by the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) and Executive Board (EB).
For Baseball and Softball, Cricket and Lacrosse it will be a return to the Olympic Games, while Flag Football and Squash will be making their Olympic debut in LA.
- Baseball and Softball have been part of the programme at several editions of the Olympic Games, most recently at Tokyo 2020.
- Cricket was on the programme for the Olympic Games Paris 1900.
- Lacrosse was included on the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908.
- Flag Football and Squash will make their Olympic debut at LA28.
“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. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
“Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”
“I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world. Our Olympic sport programme, in its entirety, reflects this belief,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman.
“We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences.”
This selection of sports is the result of a thorough process and analysis based on evaluation criteria set out before the process began, including gender equality.
It considered the utilisation of existing facilities, involving a wide range of sports communities both in the United States and globally, and incorporating some of the most popular sports in the United States and across the globe. (IOC)
