Despite the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching quickly, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is already looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28). On October 16, the IOC approved 5 sports to be added to the program of LA28. These sports include baseball, softball, flag football, squash, lacrosse, and cricket. The IOC President, Thomas Bach, made a comment about the selection of these new sports stating, “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”. The addition of these sports will help to bring in diversity and new engagement to the Olympic games[1].
Although these sports were just recently added to the LA28 program, most of them are not new to the Olympics. Cricket was in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games and lacrosse was in the London 1908 and St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games. Additionally, baseball and softball were in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as well as other years. However, LA28 will be the debut for squash and flag football [1].
At LA28, not all of these sports will be played in their normal version. For example, cricket will be played as T20 or Twenty20, which is a shorter version of the usual match [2]. As for lacrosse, these games will be played in a version called Sixes. This version is very fast paced, with games lasting only about 45 minutes [3, 4]. It seems based on these adjustments that the IOC wants to make sure viewers stay engaged and maximize the efficiency of the games.
With these exciting new changes, there is a lot to look forward to in the LA28 Olympic Games which will hold its opening ceremony on July 14, 2028 [5]. Until then, there is plenty that the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has to offer.
[1] https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-session-approves-la28-s-proposal-for-five-additional-sports
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/t20