As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, planning begins for the next Summer Games. Next year, they will be held in Los Angeles, California, and the organizing committee is making some changes.

The International Olympic Committee has approved LA28’s proposal for five additional sports in 2023. The decision was made by the IOC’s 141st Session and took into account the use of existing facilities, gender equality, and the inclusion of some of the most popular sports in the United States and around the world.

The host city has the right to propose the inclusion of a new sport – which has happened many times in the past – but the final decision rests with the IOC.

Baseball/Softball, Cricket (T20), Flag Football, Lacrosse (Sixes) and Squash have been officially added as additional sports to the program of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).

What do we know about the 2028 Games?

The Olympic Games in Los Angeles are scheduled to begin on July 14, 2028, and last until July 30. The United States has not hosted an Olympic Games since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Los Angeles has hosted the Games twice: in 1984 and 1932. For the first time in history, the host city does not have to build any new facilities, as Los Angeles already has enough stadiums and other sports venues, so Bleacher Report.

What new sports will be included at the 2028 Olympic Games?

Some of the added sports are not completely “new” as they have already been offered in the past.

Baseball and softball have been part of the program at several previous Games, most recently at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although both baseball and softball have world championships for men and women, baseball is exclusively for men at the Olympic level, while softball is exclusively for women.

Cricket was part of the Paris Games as early as 1900. The format approved for the LA28 matches is T20 – a shortened form of cricket that lasts just one day (as opposed to various variants that can last up to five days) and in which each team plays a single innings (a team is allowed to bat once until they are out of the game) and bats a maximum of 20 overs.

Lacrosse has been featured at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics and the 1908 London Olympics. The version played in 2028 will be different from traditional lacrosse as it is derived from the World Lacrosse Sixes, which has some minor differences such as being played on a 70m x 36m field.

Squash and flag football have never been played at the Olympic Games before and will make their debut at the 2028 Games.

The IOC session also approved modern pentathlon and weightlifting, which were not part of the original proposal but were recommended by the IOC Executive Board, which were approved two weeks earlier.

Both sports must meet certain conditions to be eligible to participate in the Olympic Games, including the International Weightlifting Federation’s decision on the administration of its anti-doping program, which will be closely monitored at least until the Games in 2028.

Do you have a story we should cover? Do you have questions about the 2028 Olympics? Contact [email protected].