The Paris Olympics recently concluded with Team USA clinching the gold in women’s basketball, closing out 16 days of fierce competition. While traditional crowd favorites like swimming and gymnastics kept the audience engaged, the 2024 Games introduced a new sport—breaking—that brought a fresh, dynamic energy to the Olympics. Fans enjoyed two days of intense competition, making them wonder if breaking will return for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
However, breaking will not be part of the Los Angeles program in 2028. Although it made a memorable debut in Paris, breaking was included as an optional sport, and it will join another long-standing Olympic event that will be discontinued in 2028, marking significant changes in the Olympic sporting lineup.
What’s Leaving the Olympics in 2028?
The sport of breaking, which captivated audiences in Paris, won’t be featured in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. It was introduced as an optional sport, meaning its inclusion was temporary, and it has not been selected to continue in future Games.
Another sport at risk of being dropped is boxing. Although boxing has been a staple in the Olympics, its status is uncertain due to ongoing corruption allegations against the International Boxing Association (IBA), the organization previously responsible for overseeing Olympic boxing. The IBA’s involvement in the last two Olympics was minimal, and unless a new governing body is found, boxing may not make it to the 2028 Games.
What’s New for the LA Olympics?
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will see the introduction of six new sports, including two making their Olympic debuts: flag football and squash.
Flag football will be played in both men’s and women’s divisions, featuring five-on-five teams on a 50-yard field, without offensive linemen. Squash, a racket sport played in a four-walled court, has finally been included in the Olympics after several attempts by the World Squash Federation. Both flag football and squash are categorized as “optional” sports, meaning their future in the Olympics after 2028 is not guaranteed.
Returning Olympic Sports in 2028
Baseball and softball will make a comeback in 2028 after being absent from the Paris Games. Baseball, which became a permanent sport in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but was dropped after 2008, returned as an optional sport in Tokyo and is expected to be included in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics as well. However, softball, while included in 2028, will not be played in Los Angeles. Instead, the games will be hosted in Oklahoma City.
Lacrosse will also be reintroduced as an official medal sport for the first time since 1908, with 6-on-6 tournaments taking place in Los Angeles. Previously, lacrosse had been included as an exhibition sport, but 2028 will see the awarding of medals in this sport for the first time in over a century.
Cricket will return to the Olympics after more than 120 years, having only been contested once during the 1900 Games in Paris. While the format for the 2028 competition has not been finalized, it will be interesting to see which teams vie for Olympic gold, aiming to join Great Britain as the only Olympic cricket champions.
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Additionally, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing, which were optional sports in previous Games, will be elevated to permanent events starting with the 2028 Olympics, solidifying their place in the Olympic program.
