Explained: What’s new at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles?

The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles is set to be a turning point in the history of the Games, not just for the scale of competition, but for what it represents.

With a record 351 medal events—22 more than Paris 2024—the LA28 Games are embracing transformation with a focus on gender equality, youth appeal, and innovation.

For the first time ever, female athletes will outnumber men in the overall quota. Out of 10,500 athlete slots, 5,655 will go to women, compared to 5,543 for men.

This symbolic shift reflects the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) deeper commitment to equity on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

And for India, the LA Olympics present a golden opportunity. With new events added in disciplines where Indian athletes have shown strong performances recently, LA28 could open up multiple new medal avenues for the country.

A New Era for Women’s Sport

Perhaps the most visible change is in football: Women’s football will feature 16 teams, four more than the men’s tournament, which has been reduced to 12. Similarly, water polo will now include 12 women’s teams, matching the men's competition.

Boxing, a sport long under scrutiny for its male-heavy format, will now have seven women's weight categories, bringing it to full gender parity. This is a significant boost for Indian women boxers. With consistent performances on the world circuit, this change strengthens India’s medal prospects.

The growing importance of women's sport is not just numerical—it’s foundational to how LA28 is being envisioned.

Mixed events galore

LA28 will also witness the rise of mixed-gender competition, with six new mixed events being added. Artistic gymnastics will introduce its first mixed team event, combining male and female routines into a single contest. Athletics will add a 4x100m mixed relay, while golf, rowing (coastal beach sprint), table tennis, archery, and tennis are all getting new or updated mixed formats.

Other new mixed team events include:

1. Mixed 4x100m relay in athletics

2. Mixed team in artistic gymnastics

3. Mixed doubles sculls and mixed coastal beach sprint in rowing

4. Mixed team in judo

5. Mixed event in tennis

6. Mixed team in table tennis (replacing separate men’s and women’s team events)

7. Mixed team in shooting (trap) replacing the skeet mixed event

8. Mixed team in archery (compound) – where India is a dominant force

In fact, in Archery Mixed Team Compound, India has won 3 golds and 1 silver across the last seven World Cups—a sign of consistent global dominance. The inclusion of this event in LA28 could be crucial for India’s medal hopes.

Similarly, Indian table tennis players have fared better in doubles than singles in recent years. With the inclusion of Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles, India, which won a bronze in women’s doubles at the Asian Games and multiple medals at the Asian Championships, will be looking to make an impact on the Olympic stage.

New races

One of the most exciting additions is in the swimming pool. LA28 will host the Olympic debut of 50-meter events in backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly for both men and women.

These short, explosive races are already fan favorites at world championships and promise thrilling moments in what will be the largest-ever Olympic natatorium at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

In athletics, the inclusion of the 4x100m mixed relay adds yet another layer to the mixed-event push.

Meanwhile, sport climbing has separated its boulder and lead disciplines into standalone medal events—offering more chances for medals in one of the Games’ newer, youth-focused sports.

Debuts and returns: Cricket, Squash, Flag Football & More

Among the five sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee that have been approved are:

1. Cricket (six teams per gender)- A historic inclusion for the sport, especially with India as one of the global powerhouses. This could finally offer Indian cricket fans a long-awaited shot at Olympic gold.

2. Baseball/Softball

3. Flag football

4. Lacrosse

5. Squash (singles format only): The Indian squash players have been steadily climbing the world rankings, and this Olympic debut could give India an outside chance at a podium finish.

These additions bring in 698 more athlete quotas and reflect a push to connect with newer and more global audiences, particularly with cricket’s massive South Asian fan base.

Shooting: Tweaked format

The format of Olympic shooting is set for significant change. The 50m Rifle 3 Positions event will now feature only the standing position in the final—a shift that may benefit Indian shooters like Sift Kaur Samra, who excel in standing shooting.

Other shooting format changes include:

1. Shotgun Trap finals will now have 8 athletes instead of 6.

2. Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol finals expanded to 8 athletes.

3. The Mixed Team Shooting Finals will follow a single-elimination format, creating a more direct and thrilling competition path.

These adjustments could play to India's strengths, given the country's strong shooting contingent and their success at recent World Cups and Asian Games.

Tradition meets transformation

The IOC received 46 event proposals from 24 of 31 international federations before finalizing the LA28 program. The selection was guided by four key principles: global appeal, cost-efficiency, athlete focus, and gender balance.

The IOC also confirmed that while more medal events are being introduced, the overall number of athletes will stay capped at 10,500 to ensure a sustainable and manageable Games.

The 2028 Olympics, to be held from 14 to 30 July, will also see history made in its leadership. Former Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry will become the first woman to head the IOC since its founding 131 years ago—fitting for a Games so centered on female empowerment.