The Paris 2024 Games made history by achieving unprecedented parity between male and female athletes. Los Angeles 2028 will go even further: the IOC Executive Board, meeting on Wednesday, confirmed that these Games will be the first to have more women (5) than men (543). Six mixed events have also been added to the program. This is a powerful message as the Olympic Movement will soon have a woman, Kirsty Coventry, at its helm.
Who runs the world? Girls!
The Los Angeles 2028 program was significantly refined following this meeting, with one watchword: parity. In boxing, an additional weight class was added for women to offer as many categories (seven) as for men. The number of teams participating in the women's water polo tournament was increased from 10 to 12, to align the competition with its men's counterpart. In the mixed competitions, the 4x100m relay in athletics appeared, as well as a mixed event in archery, golf, gymnastics, table tennis, and ocean rowing. However, the mixed team race walk event was dropped from the program.
The IOC has decided, even more symbolically, to reverse the number of teams in the men's and women's football tournaments: 12 teams were entered in the women's competition in Paris; there will be 16 in Los Angeles. The men's tournament will therefore be reduced from 16 to 12 teams to maintain the sport's athlete quota. "This is obviously an important and progressive step, carried out within the framework of a dialogue with Los Angeles and FIFA.", comments Kit McConnell, IOC sports director, recalling "the strong growth in the popularity of women's football" and the common desire to benefit from the power of women's soccer in the United States. “There is no better place to make the move”, he insists. For the first time in the history of the Games, all team sports will have as many women's teams, or even more, than men's teams.
More quotas in 3x3 basketball, fewer in pentathlon
The IOC also froze the quotas, which were significantly inflated by the additional sports: 10.500 athletes for the 31 events that form the basis of the Olympic program, to which will be added 698 athletes for baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. "This doesn't necessarily set a precedent for the future, it's specific to Los Angeles, warns Kit McConnell as the IOC moves to limit the number of athletes. This is explained by the nature of the sports they have highlighted. It's a perfect solution for Los Angeles, but it may be different for the next Olympics."
3x3 basketball has 32 additional quotas, with four additional teams (composed of four players each) for both men and women. Climbing also gains a few quotas, with three events scheduled for Los Angeles: the combined event will be eliminated so that each specialty (bouldering, difficulty, and speed) can offer medals. Modern pentathlon is paying the price: four men and four women will be removed from the starting list in 2028. "Not a criticism of the direction taken by the UIPM" Following the replacement of horse riding with jumping, explained Kit McConnell, but an adjustment that allows for a shorter fencing phase and a more compact format. The final change announced for swimming: the addition of the 50m distance in backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke. In total, 351 events will be held in Los Angeles, 22 more than in Paris.
