Los Angeles Olympics set to feature a record 36 sports

By James Toney and Tom Harle

Olympic president Thomas Bach's promise to make the Games more sustainable is under-threat as Los Angeles push officials to announce the biggest sports program in the events history.

Bach’s much-heralded ‘Agenda 2020’ was designed to make the Olympics more cost effective to bid for and host, plus offer organisers a flexible approach to their sports program, with section three of the Olympic Charter rewritten to impose an approximate cap of 10,500 athletes and 310 ‘events’.

However, it is now expected there could be up to 36 sports in Los Angeles, three more than Tokyo, which hosted a record 11,420 athletes, and ten more than London 2012.

The agenda for this week's IOC Session in Mumbai includes an item 'to amend the Olympic Charter', believed to offer scope to scale up the size of the Games, next year's event in Paris expecting to welcome 10,500 athletes.

There are currently 28 confirmed sports on the Los Angeles programme, amounting to a provisional 302 events.

The terms of the host city contract allow the organising committee to add three to six sports to improve ‘local interest’, subject to the ratification of the IOC’s program commission.

LA organising committee boss Casey Wasserman has put forward baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash - and confidently expects them all to the rubber-stamped at this week's executive committee and 141st IOC Session in Mumbai.

“LA28’s proposed sports ignite the imagination on the field of play and drive culture off it. They’re relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centres, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe,” he said.

“They will bring new athletes to the Games, engage diverse fanbases and expand the Games’ presence in digital spaces, further amplifying LA28’s mission to deliver an unparalleled experience.”

However, that leaves major question marks for three long-time Olympic sports who were stripped of core sport status two years ago - and are now sweating on their future, though two senior officials with knowledge of lengthy conversations at the IOC's Lausanne headquarters today believe they are 'safe'.

Boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting have been part of the Olympics since 1904, 1912 and 1920 respectively.

Boxing, stripped of their status due to governance issues at the IBA, believes they’ve done enough to keep their spot, with the formation of a new international federation, World Boxing, earlier this year.

Indeed, IOC director general Christophe De Kepper guaranteed it in remarks this summer, while LA are thought to equally keen for its inclusion.

Wasserman’s team are less worried about weightlifting, whose governance and issues with doping have frequently embarrassed Olympic officials, and modern pentathlon.

Modern pentathlon, perpetually linked with the axe from the Games, has proposed replacing riding with obstacle racing for 2028, igniting a furious row in the sport, with athletes, including current Olympic men's champion Joe Choong, locked in war of words with the sport's governing body.

Behind the scenes, IOC and LA officials have repeatedly clashed over the sports program in recent weeks, a decision was originally slated for September, when a long-scheduled meeting of the program commission was cancelled.

"We're excited about the sports we are proposing, it's a matter for the IOC to decide on others," said an organising committee source, though the powerful Wasserman has frequently expressed concerns how modern pentathlon – currently a fusion of running, swimming, fencing, shooting and horse riding – chimes with his bid to engage a younger audience.

LA's decision to select five sports puts the IOC's executive board in an awkward fix - either they dump two sports with over a century of Olympic heritage or they admit defeat in their much publicised plans for slimmed-down economically and environmentally sustainable Games.

Including both modern pentathlon and weightlifting would take the number of sports in Los Angeles to 36, with break dancing - added by Paris for 2024 - not expected to be part of the LA line-up, though the field next year was set to feature just 32 athletes.

By contrast there were 28 sports at the Beijing and Rio Games and 26 at London 2012.

With pressure on space in the athletes’ village one of the key stumbling blocks, it is understood that organisers may seek to manage athlete numbers by regionalising the group stages of the new team sports - as currently happens with football.

However, Bach has previously expressed reticence in such an approach, believing there should be one village for all athletes, football being the only exception.

Based on previous Games, today’s decision takes the 2028 sports program to over 340 events, meaning there could be pressure on other sports to slim down the number of medals they offer.

And that could lead to major rows with the likes of World Athletics, swimming’s governing body FINA and cycling’s UCI.

“We were willing to challenge the status quo and think differently about what’s possible for the Games,” said Kathy Carter, LA's organising committee's chief executive.

“We approached the process holistically and authentically, ensuring that our decisions were grounded in the Games’ commitment to fiscal responsibility. And we’ve landed on a bold and balanced proposal that will energise the Games with culturally relevant competition and boundless possibility.”

While modern pentathlon and weightlifting officials look anxiously to the days ahead, the proposed new sports were taking a cautious victory lap.

"We are delighted that LA28 have recommended cricket for inclusion in the Olympics," said International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay

"Whilst this is not the final decision, it is a very significant landmark towards seeing cricket at the Olympics for the first time in more than a century.

"I’d like to thank LA28 for their support during the new sport evaluation process over last two years and we look forward to the final decision being taken at the IOC Session, in India, during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next week."

Squash is thought to have counted heavily on the support of billionaire LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who is also a part-time owner of Premier League Chelsea. A close friend of Wasserman, he announced a major investment in professional squash earlier this year.

"The WSF, US Squash and the Professional Squash Association welcome the decision by the LA28 Organising Committee to recommend squash for inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympic sports programme," said a statement for the World Squash Federation.

"The decision is a significant and exciting milestone in squash’s history as the sport nears inclusion in the Olympic Games for the first time."

Lacrosse was part of the Games in 1904 and 1908 and was a demonstration sport three times, most recently in 1948.

LA is expected to feature the short-form 'sixes' format, which made its debut at last year's World Games in Alabama, where Canada won both golds.

"Lacrosse is globally played, accessible and equitable, with a unique origin and modern, youthful relevancy. We are on a path of ascendency and will be a great partner for LA28 and the IOC," read a statement from World Lacrosse.

"Reaching this stage in the process is a testament to the dedication of our players, coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators and lacrosse enthusiasts worldwide, who have tirelessly championed our sport.

"We eagerly await the IOC’s final decision and look forward to the possibility of lacrosse being showcased on the world's biggest sporting stage, inspiring generations to come."

Watching developments closely are 2032 hosts Brisbane, who could dump these five new sports after just one Games, though their organising committee are thought to be excited about the prospect of cricket's inclusion.