Goodbye breaking, welcome back baseball.
Now that the Olympics in Paris are over, it’s worth taking a minute to look ahead to what’s in store for 2028, when Los Angeles is set to host the next Summer Games.
Fans of breaking, which made its debut in Paris and featured a gold-medal victory in the men’s “B-Boys” final by Canada’s “Phil Wizard” aka Philip Kim, will be disappointed that the event falls under the category of one-and-done. The optional event will not be returning for L.A., which could make Kim the defending gold medallist for years to come.
Boxing, an Olympic event since 1904 except for once (1912 in Stockholm due to local laws prohibiting it), could also be out for L.A. The International Boxing Association, which was the sport’s ruling body, has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee for the last five years over allegations of corruption and governance issues. The IOC no longer recognizes the IBA, but forged ahead in Paris with the event. As of today, the sport has yet to be approved for 2028.
While the jury remains out on boxing, five other sports are ready to fill the gap — two debutants and three returnees. Here they are:
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
Baseball has a history at the Games, having been played off-and-on in various capacities (demonstration, unofficial, official and modified versions) since 1900. When L.A. last hosted the Games in 1984, the version we are most familiar with returned as an exhibition event in a tournament format. It hung around for seven consecutive Games, but was voted out by the IOC for London 2012.
The sport’s popularity in Japan prompted the IOC to bring it back for the delayed 2020 event in Tokyo. And while the French said “non merci,” the sport will be on the docket for L.A., though don’t count on MLB pausing its season for the pros to participate.
Softball, which is played exclusively by women at the Olympics, has had a similar history with the five-ring circus, making its debut in 1996, only to be deleted along with baseball for 2012. Having also returned for Tokyo, it’s back again for L.A.
CRICKET
Using the term “returning sport” is a bit of a stretch when talking about cricket, having only been involved once, back in 1900.
A lack of entries essentially moved it off the Olympic radar, but times have changed. The sport has a massive following in southeast Asia and is played around the world, with the U.S. recently hosting a tournament featuring the top 20 nations.
LACROSSE
Not unlike cricket, lacrosse has some distant history with the Games, dating back to 1904, though its most recent involvement was last in 1948, and that was just as a demonstration event. It is very much a U.S./Canada-dominated sport, though Great Britain and Australia also put in a good show.
The Haudenosaunee Nationals, a team composed of Indigenous players, competes in international tournaments and is looking to do the same as the Games in L.A., which would be unprecedented.
The Olympics will feature a six-aside version of the field format, perhaps akin to the “sevens” version of rugby that has become a popular event.
FLAG FOOTBALL
The NFL sees growth for the game in the non-contact version of the sport and got its wish when L.A. included flag football as an optional event. Four downs, five players each, no actual tackling, and no kicking, but everything else will be familiar to fans of the oval ball.
SQUASH
Pickleball proponents may be unhappy, but the sport best known as the thing your dad did down at the club with his work friends to stay in shape is coming to the Olympics.
To be fair, the World Squash Federation claims almost 130 members and 50,000 courts worldwide and has been lobbying for Olympic inclusion for a while.