Record application for Los Angeles Paralympics
A record 33 Para-sports have submitted applications to be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic programme.
The 22 sports in the Paris 2024 programme have applied, along with arm wrestling, climbing, Cerebral Palsy (CP) football, golf, karate, Para-dance sport, powerchair football, sailing, surfing, and wheelchair handball.
In addition, the International Federation responsible for sitting volleyball, World ParaVolley, has applied for beach Para-volley to be included.
CP football and sailing were both part of the Rio 2016 programme but were dropped for the Tokyo Games, where they were replaced by badminton and taekwondo and did not win inclusion for Paris 2024.
A final decision on which sports make up the programme will be taken by the governing board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) by the end of January 2023.
Over the summer the IPC will review the applications and identify areas for further clarification from applicants where needed.
They will also work closely with the Games organising committee to analyse the potential impact of sports on the programme, which will run from 15-27 August 2028.
The Paris Games will feature a maximum of 4,400 athletes who will compete across 549 medal events.
The programme will include a record 236 medal events for women and at least 1,859 slots for female athletes, the most ever in Paralympic Games history. There will also be more competition opportunities for athletes with high support needs.
“Our goal for the LA28 Paralympic Games is to shape a competitive and attractive sport programme that showcases the diversity of the Paralympic movement,” said Colleen Wrenn, the IPC’s Chief Paralympic Games Delivery Officer .
“The Paralympic Games is the world’s most transformational event, and we firmly believe that the LA28 Paralympics will be a real game-changer for the Paralympic movement in terms of awareness, profile and impact.
“It’s vital therefore that the Paralympic sport programme showcases the best of what our movement has to offer.”
BBC/Emmanuel Ukoh
