The number of sports in the Summer Olympics can change from one edition of the Games to another because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can add or remove sports from the Olympic program.
For the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, there are 36 sports in the Olympic sports program. The program includes the established Olympic sports as well as five sports added specifically for LA28 and boxing, which was subsequently approved for inclusion.
The number can be confusing because the Olympics also use the terms sports, disciplines, and events. These are not the same thing. A single sport can contain several disciplines and many individual medal events.
How Many Sports Will Be at the 2028 Summer Olympics?
The LA28 Summer Olympics will feature 36 sports.
The five sports specifically proposed by Los Angeles organizers and approved by the IOC are:
- Baseball and softball
- Cricket
- Flag football
- Lacrosse
- Squash
Baseball and softball, cricket, and lacrosse are returning to the Olympic program, while flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts.
Boxing is also part of the LA28 program after the IOC approved its inclusion in 2025. This brought the total Olympic sports program to 36 sports.
LA28 will take place in Los Angeles from July 14 through July 30, 2028. Competitions will be held throughout the Los Angeles region, with some events also taking place in Oklahoma City.
What Are the 36 Sports at the 2028 Summer Olympics?
The 36 sports scheduled for Los Angeles 2028 are:
- Aquatics
- Archery
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Canoe
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Fencing
- Flag Football
- Football (Soccer)
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Handball
- Hockey
- Judo
- Lacrosse
- Modern Pentathlon
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Skateboarding
- Squash
- Sport Climbing
- Surfing
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
The exact way sports are displayed can vary depending on whether an organization groups related disciplines together. For example, Aquatics includes swimming and other water-based disciplines, while Gymnastics covers several disciplines. LA28’s official materials distinguish between the overall sport program and individual disciplines and events.
Why Does the Number of Olympic Sports Change?
The Summer Olympics do not have one permanent list of sports that remains exactly the same forever.
The IOC reviews the Olympic program and works with host-city organizing committees when determining which sports should be included. Host cities can propose additional sports, but those proposals must go through the IOC approval process.
This is why the Olympic sports lineup can look different at different Games.
For example, Los Angeles proposed five additional sports for 2028. The IOC approved baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash for LA28.
Some sports can also return after being absent for many years. Cricket, for example, is returning to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles after more than a century away from the Games. Lacrosse is also returning after its earlier Olympic appearances.
How Many Sports Were at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics featured 32 sports.
That means the number increased for Los Angeles 2028, with LA28 featuring 36 sports.
Paris also included breaking, which made its Olympic debut in 2024. Breaking is not included in the Los Angeles 2028 sports program.
This illustrates how the Olympic program can change between editions. A sport may be added for one Games and not necessarily remain on the program at the next Games.
What Is the Difference Between a Sport, Discipline and Event?
Understanding the difference between these terms makes Olympic numbers much easier to understand.
A sport is the broad category recognized within the Olympic program.
A discipline is a subdivision of a sport.
An event is a specific competition in which medals are awarded.
For example, cycling is a sport that contains different disciplines, including road cycling, track cycling and mountain biking. Swimming is part of aquatics and contains numerous individual events.
Athletics provides another good example. It includes events such as the 100-meter sprint, marathon, long jump, shot put and many others.
This is why saying that the Olympics have 36 sports does not mean there are only 36 competitions.
There are hundreds of individual medal events across the Summer Olympic program.
How Many Events Are at the 2028 Summer Olympics?
The approved LA28 program contains 351 medal events, according to Olympic-related reporting on the IOC-approved event program. That is 22 more medal events than Paris 2024’s 329.
LA28 has also introduced or expanded several events.
For example, swimming will add men’s and women’s 50-meter races in backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Sport climbing will have separate speed, boulder and lead medal events rather than combining boulder and lead into one competition.
There will also be new mixed-gender events in sports including athletics, archery, artistic gymnastics, golf, rowing and table tennis.
So while the headline figure is 36 sports, there are many more individual competitions within those sports.
Which New Sports Are Coming to the Summer Olympics?
The most notable new Olympic sport for LA28 is flag football.
Flag football will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles. Unlike traditional tackle football, flag football removes tackling and uses flags attached to players that are pulled off to end a play.
Squash will also make its Olympic debut at LA28. It joins the program as an additional sport approved for the Los Angeles Games.
Several returning sports are also attracting attention.
Cricket
Cricket will return to the Summer Olympics in the T20 format. It was previously part of the Olympic program at Paris 1900, making its return to the Games particularly notable.
Baseball and Softball
Baseball and softball are returning to the Olympics after last appearing at Tokyo 2020. Their inclusion is particularly significant for the Los Angeles Games because both sports have a strong following in the United States.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse will also return. The LA28 version will use the sixes format, with smaller teams and a faster style of play than traditional field lacrosse.
Is Boxing in the 2028 Summer Olympics?
Yes. Boxing is scheduled for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
The IOC Executive Board recommended boxing for LA28 in March 2025, and its inclusion subsequently became part of the Olympic program. Boxing’s approval increased the LA28 sports total to 36.
Boxing is one of the sports with a long Olympic history, although its Olympic status has faced changes during recent Games cycles.
Will the Number of Olympic Sports Always Be 36?
No.
The 36-sport figure applies to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. It should not be treated as a permanent number for every future Summer Olympic Games.
The IOC and future organizing committees can make changes to the Olympic program. Sports can be added, removed, or modified, depending on IOC decisions and the plans for a particular Games.
For example, Brisbane 2032 is the next Summer Olympic host after Los Angeles. Its final sports program can differ from LA28.
This is why when someone asks, “How many sports are in the Summer Olympics?” the most accurate answer depends on which Olympic Games they mean.
Why Are There So Many Olympic Events?
The Olympic program covers a wide range of athletic disciplines, from individual competitions such as swimming and athletics to team sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball.
Many sports also have multiple men’s and women’s events, along with mixed competitions.
For example, athletics alone contains a large number of medal events, while swimming has numerous distances and strokes. Gymnastics includes artistic, rhythmic and trampoline disciplines.
The goal is therefore not simply to have a certain number of sports. The Olympic program is designed to provide a broad international sporting competition while balancing athlete quotas, venue requirements, costs, gender equality and global interest.
LA28’s approved program places particular emphasis on gender equality. The Games will have at least the same number of women’s teams as men’s teams in every team sport, while the women’s soccer tournament will have 16 teams compared with 12 men’s teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sports are in the Summer Olympics?
For the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, there are 36 sports in the Olympic program. The number can vary from one Olympic Games to another.
How many sports were in the 2024 Olympics?
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics featured 32 sports.
How many sports will be in the 2028 Olympics?
Los Angeles 2028 will feature 36 sports, including five additional sports proposed for LA28 and boxing.
Is flag football an Olympic sport?
Yes. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
Is cricket an Olympic sport?
Yes. Cricket will return to the Summer Olympics at LA28 in the T20 format. It previously appeared at the 1900 Olympics.
Is squash an Olympic sport?
Yes. Squash will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
How many Olympic events are there?
The LA28 program has 351 medal events. This is different from the number of sports because each sport can contain numerous disciplines and individual medal events.
Conclusion
So, how many sports are in the Summer Olympics? The answer depends on the edition of the Games. For Los Angeles 2028, the Summer Olympics will feature 36 sports and 351 medal events.
The LA28 program is particularly notable because it brings back baseball/softball, cricket and lacrosse while introducing flag football and squash. Boxing is also included after being approved for the Games.
It is also important to distinguish sports from events. The 36 sports represent broad categories, while the 351 medal events represent the individual competitions where Olympic medals are awarded. As future Olympic programs are reviewed, the number of sports may change again.