The 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will witness the return of cricket and baseball/softball, as decided by the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session. Los Angeles will also introduce flag football, lacrosse, and squash to its line-up.
This decision saw almost unanimous approval, with only two dissenting votes from roughly 90 IOC participants.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, remarked that these new sports align with the American sports ethos and will magnify the unique nature of LA’s 2028 Olympics, aiming to appeal to newer audiences both in the U.S. and internationally.
The LA28 Organizing Committee initially proposed these sports solely for the 2028 Olympics. The suggestions underwent scrutiny by the IOC’s Olympic Program Commission and then were presented to the IOC executive board.
Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson, expressed his enthusiasm about the potential of the Games in LA to redefine excellence. He highlighted the collaborative spirit of LA28 with professional sports leagues, hoping to enhance the Olympic and Paralympic narrative and allure fresh audiences.
While baseball and softball made their last Olympic appearance in Tokyo 2020, this will be cricket’s first time in the Olympics since 1900 in Paris.
Additionally, after gracing the Olympic stage in 1904 in St. Louis and 1908 in London, lacrosse will make its third appearance. On the other hand, flag football and squash will be introduced to the Olympic stage for the first time.
