The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday approved several adds to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, including more women’s teams in soccer and water polo and new events in swimming and other sports.
The women’s soccer tournament will expand from 12 teams to 16, making it larger than the men’s tournament for the first time in Olympic history. The men’s tournament — which is for players under 23 years old, with three exceptions per team — will be reduced from 16 to 12 teams.
Women’s water polo will also expand from 10 teams to 12, pulling even with the number of teams in the men’s draw.
In swimming, the Olympic “splash and dash” won’t just be for freestylers anymore. The IOC is adding 50-meter events for both men and women in the backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
After debuting at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, 3X3 basketball will also expand from eight teams to 12 for both men and women.
Other additions include:
- In boxing, a new women’s weight category was added to reach gender parity;
- In rowing, women’s solo, men’s solo and mixed doubles sculls will add a “coastal beach sprint” event;
- In sport climbing, boulder and lead climbing will be separate events, rather than combined together as in its previous two Olympic…
