Lacrosse among 5 sports added to 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles

Lacrosse is returning to the Olympic stage.

The sport was one of five approved Monday by the International Olympic Committee’s 141st session in Mumbai, India, to be added to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Lacrosse joined baseball/softball, cricket, flag football and squash as sports being added to The Games.

“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique. Their inclusion will allow the Olympic movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the U.S. and globally.”

Lacrosse is no stranger to the Olympics. It was a medal sport at the 1904 and 1908 Games in St. Louis and London, respectively, and a demonstration sport in 1928 in Amsterdam, 1932 in Los Angeles and 1948 in London.

For the players who make up the professional ranks of the Premier Lacrosse League and Athletes Unlimited, lacrosse’s promotion is a chance to unveil the sport to audiences new and old.

“As an athlete, this is the dream,” said Premier Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil, a Gaithersburg native who starred at midfield at Johns Hopkins. “And today, the next-generation lacrosse player picking up a stick for the first time can dream big. There have never been more opportunities for players at the youth, high school, college and professional levels.”

Added Athletes Unlimited director of lacrosse Abi Jackson: “The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of athletic competition, and a dream for every athlete. Having lacrosse be part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is a monumental moment for our sport and the millions of athletes who play across the United States. We are also thrilled that our decorated professionals who have dominated in global competition for years will finally be able to showcase their talents on sport’s biggest stage.”

Lacrosse’s return is the culmination of a yearslong initiative by the sport’s more prominent individuals and organizations to get the sport back in the global perspective. In August 2022, World Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body, launched a campaign to emphasize the sport’s history, Olympic roots and connections to communities in 77 nations that sponsor men’s and women’s lacrosse.

“In some ways, it feels like we’ve reached the finish line with so many people working towards this goal for so many years,” USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio said. “In reality, this is the beginning of a bright new future. The Olympics gives our sport the platform and visibility to achieve unprecedented growth. We can’t wait to get started on the next chapter in the sport’s history.”

World Lacrosse enjoyed its largest growth in a calendar year when the organization added 11 national governing bodies in 2023 and 17 new members in the past two years. The additions of Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe increased World Lacrosse’s membership to 90.

“The global lacrosse family has been passionately working toward reaching this pinnacle for more than a decade,” World Lacrosse president Sue Redfern said. “This seminal achievement would not have been possible without the effort of many visionary and dedicated individuals who collectively recognized that Olympic inclusion is the most significant catalyst for the continued growth of a sport.”

Unlike traditional field lacrosse, which features formats of 10-on-10 and 12-on-12 players in the men’s and women’s games, respectively, the Olympic version will adopt a 6-on-6 style. When combined with shot clocks, smaller fields and faceoffs only to start quarters, the Sixes games, as it is called, is expected to accelerate The Games’ tempo and draw interest from international viewers.

Those who championed lacrosse’s road to the Olympics are excited about Monday’s development.

“A special thank you to LA28 and the IOC for believing in our vision,” Rabil said. “To World Lacrosse and every lacrosse organization around the world that continues to invest in the growth of the game: thank you. We’re back.”