IOC approves more women's teams, new swimming events in adds to L.A. Olympics
The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday approved several adds to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, including more women's teams in soccer and water polo and new events in swimming and other sports.
The women's soccer tournament will expand from 12 teams to 16, making it larger than the men's tournament for the first time in Olympic history. The men's tournament — which is for players under 23 years old, with three exceptions per team — will stay at 12 teams.
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Women's water polo will also expand from 10 teams to 12, pulling even with the number of teams in the men's draw.
In swimming, the Olympic 'splash and dash' won't just be for freestylers anymore. The IOC is adding 50-meter events for both men and women in the backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
After debuting at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, 3X3 basketball will also expand from eight teams to 12 for both men and women.
Other additions include:
The IOC said its effort to achieve gender equality was a key consideration for the adds. There are now 161 women's events, 165 men's events and 25 men's events on the L.A. program.
The L.A. Olympics are also introducing four sports new to the Olympic program — cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash — as well as bringing back baseball and softball, which featured in Tokyo in 2021 but not in Paris.
(Photo of the LA2028 logo: Emma McIntyre / Getty Images for LA28)
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