LAUSANNE: The Initial Sports Programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 will be composed of 28 sports, including skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, with a strong focus on youth. It was approved today by the 139th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Beijing.
The 28 sports included in the Initial Sports Programme are: Athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cycling. equestrian, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, wrestling, swimming, rugby, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing, volleyball, surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing.
Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, all youth-focused sports, made their Olympic debut successfully at Tokyo 2020 and all of them have deep roots in California.
The IOC Session also acknowledged additional proposals from the IOC executive board (EB), recommended by the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC), which considered sport-specific issues, as well as the impact on the overall cost and complexity of the Games:
Pathways
for boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon to be potentially included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme at the IOC Session in 2023
The possibility for LA28 to propose additional sports in 2023
A process for finalising the disciplines in each sport to provide early certainty to athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), IFs and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG).
The IOC and the LA28 Organising Committee renewed their joint commitment to prioritising a reduction in the cost and complexity of hosting the Games, including a review of each sport’s disciplines, which will be finalised prior to the IOC Session in 2023, in consultation with LA28 and the IFs.
Football
With regard to football, the IOC will continue to monitor the evolution of the international match calendar.
Football
With regard to football, the IOC said it would "continue to monitor the evolution of the international match calendar".
Translated, it means that while football is still on the LA28 programme, the IOC has put FIFA on notice because of its plans to play World Cups every two years, instead of every four. The current cycle of men’s World Cups would put any biennial tournament in a direct clash with the Los Angeles Olympics.
The World Cup plan, which has faced resistance in Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL), is being pushed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Not so coincidentally, Infantino has also been accused of tacitly supporting the still-born European Super League project, as it would have reduced the power that UEFA holds within world football (loosely akin to but nowhere close to the power that BCCI holds over world cricket) .
Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon
Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon may potentially be included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme by the IOC Session in 2023 if by then the respective IFs have demonstrated to the IOC’s satisfaction that they have satisfactorily addressed the areas specified by the EB on 9 December 2021.
This timeline will provide the IBA , the IWF and the UIPM with the additional time needed to effectively implement the critical reforms that have been announced by the respective IFs, and allow further consideration by the IOC EB.
The new discipline review timeline to offer various advantages
A new intermediate step, focused on determining the disciplines for each sport, will be added in 2023, as recommended by the OPC and approved by the IOC EB.
This new timeline will offer various advantages, such as early certainty to athletes, NOCs, IFs and the OCOG. Additionally, the discipline review for existing Olympic disciplines, plus any potential new discipline to be proposed by the Olympic IFs, will take place at the same time as the evaluation of potential new sports proposed by the OCOG, allowing for venue synergies and optimisations.
Related report
Boxing, weightlifting set deadline to shape up or lose LA28 spots
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