The Olympic Games have come a long way since women first stepped onto the global stage in 1900. At the Paris Games that year, only 22 women competed, making up a mere 2.2 percent of all athletes. Fast forward 128 years, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will rewrite history.
The move is the result of deliberate decisions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to increase opportunities for women, level the playing field, and reimagine what the modern Olympics should represent.
The push for gender balance reached a landmark at the Paris 2024 Olympics when women made up 50 percent of the competing athletes. LA28 will now build on that achievement. Key to this progress is the commitment to ensure that every team sport features an equal number of men’s and women’s teams.
As shared on LA28 Instagram post, women’s boxing will expand to seven weight divisions, matching the opportunities available to men for the first time. Water Polo will add two new women’s teams, while women’s football will grow to a 16-team tournament, surpassing the 12-team men’s competition.
These changes are part of a broader shift in sports administration and governance, addressing the long-standing underrepresentation of women in competitive athletics.
The LA28 Olympics are also shaking up the Games with exciting new sports and women will be at the center of the action.
Cricket is making a dramatic return to the Olympics after over a century, and both men’s and women’s T20 teams will compete in Southern California. Lacrosse returns with a modern, faster six-a-side format called Lacrosse Sixes. Meanwhile, squash will make its long-awaited Olympic debut, and baseball/softball are back after their Tokyo 2020 appearance.
Athletics is also breaking new ground with the introduction of a 4x100m mixed relay event, while boxing will see a brand-new women’s 65–70 kg light middleweight division added to its roster.
With these changes, we’re seeing more opportunities for women in sports and a ton of new events to look forward to.
