The event program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28) demonstrates a strong commitment to innovation and gender equality, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For the first time, all team sports will feature at least the same number of women's teams as men's teams, with water polo adding two women's teams to reach 12 for each gender. Football will feature more women's teams (16) than men's (12).
Gender equality was a key factor in determining the athlete quota and event numbers. The initial sports program includes 5,333 female and 5,167 male athletes out of a total of 10,500.
The additional sports add 322 female and 376 male athletes. Six mixed events have also been added, bringing the total to 161 women's events, 165 men's events, and 25 mixed events out of 351 total events.
Key highlights of the LA28 event program:
* Football: More women's teams (16) than men's (12) will compete for the first time in Olympic history.
* Boxing: An additional women's weight category ensures full gender parity across events, maintaining equal athlete quotas for men and women as in Paris 2024.
* Water polo: Two additional women's teams guarantee full gender parity in athlete quota and team numbers.
* Expanded mixed events: New mixed team events will be included in archery, athletics (4x100m mixed relay), golf, gymnastics, rowing coastal beach sprint, and table tennis.
* Swimming: The 50m backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke events for both men and women will bring excitement to the pool.
* Rowing: Women's solo (CW1x), men's solo (CM1x), and mixed double sculls (CX2x) will debut in coastal beach sprint.
* Sport climbing: Boulder and lead events will be contested as separate medal events.
* Basketball 3x3: The event has expanded from eight to twelve teams per gender.
The IOC also noted that 24 out of 31 Olympic International Federations requested changes to their event programs from the Paris 2024 Olympics. In total, 46 new events were requested (16 male/17 female/13 mixed), with six potentially replacing existing ones.