One of the most unique features of the Olympic Games is the inclusion of optional sports in the program. Some of these aim to gain a permanent place in the Games, while others are held simply as a tribute to the host city in a particular year.

Several sports will be optional at this year’s Paris Olympics, most of which will be included in the Los Angeles program in 2028. However, some sports may be removed from the program, including a major sport that has been included in every Olympic Games since 1948.

Here you can find out everything you need to know about the upcoming changes to the Olympic sports program for 2028.

What is leaving the Olympic Games

Break

The sport of breakdancing was included in the Olympic program for the first time as an optional sport in Paris, but will not be part of the program in Los Angeles in 2028.

A total of 33 breakers from 16 nations, including four from the USA, will compete to win what may be the only medals awarded in the sport.

The B-Girls division will hold its events on Friday, the B-Boys division will take place on Saturday in Paris.

Boxing

While breakdancing is the only sport that will officially no longer be part of the Olympic Games in 2028, there is no confirmation yet that boxing will be part of the program in Los Angeles.

According to the IOC, the reason for this is ongoing allegations of corruption in connection with the International Boxing Federation (IBA), which was responsible for overseeing the qualification and competition regulations at the Olympic Games until 2020.

At the last two Olympic Games, the IBA was not involved in organizing the boxing tournament, so the sport only had a provisional status. If a new governing body cannot be found, boxing will not be included in the Olympic program.

What’s coming to the Olympic Games?

A total of six new sports will be added to the Olympic program in Los Angeles, two of which will make their debut at the Games.

Those two sports, according to the IOC, are flag football and squash. Flag football is played in both men’s and women’s leagues, with five-a-side matches played on a 50-yard field and no offensive players are used, according to the IOC.

Squash is a racket sport played by singles or doubles players on a fenced court. Players hit the ball onto playable surfaces within the court to prevent legal returns.

The World Squash Federation has tried several times to get squash included in the Olympics, but was finally successful for the 2028 Games. The sport, like flag football, is considered “optional” and may not return after the LA Games conclude.

Returning sports

A total of four sports are returning to the Olympic Games, including baseball and softball, which will resume after a break during the 2024 Games in Paris.

Baseball has been an optional sport several times over the years, but was finally added as a permanent sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was dropped after 2008, but was added back as an optional sport by Tokyo.

According to officials, baseball is expected to be a focus of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Softball was first included in the Olympic program in Atlanta in 1996 and was played every year until it was removed from the program after the 2008 Games. After a comeback in Tokyo in 2020, it was not played in Paris, but will be added back to the program as an optional sport for the Los Angeles Games.

Interestingly, the games will not be played in Los Angeles, but officials have announced that the games will take place in Oklahoma City.

For the first time since 1908, lacrosse will be included in the Olympic program as an official medal sport. According to the IOC, 6-on-6 tournaments will be held in Los Angeles.

Canada has won two gold medals in the sport before and has competed in it several times as an exhibition sport, but this is the first time in 120 years that medals will be awarded.

Another sport making a comeback after more than 120 years is cricket, which was played only once, at the 1900 Games in Paris. Information on the format has not yet been released, but teams will be attempting to become only the second Olympic gold medalist in the sport, alongside Great Britain.

Finally, it should be noted that according to the IOC, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing will change from voluntary sports to permanent events starting with the 2028 Olympic Games.