Three hugely popular 'optional' Olympic sports to become permanent at 2028 Games

Three 'optional' sports that proved popular at the 2024 Olympics will be made permanent for the next Games.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw a number of new sports and events introduced, although admittedly with mixed results.

The introduction of breakdancing caused a bit of a stir, with fans not convinced by some of the performances.

The decision not to include breaking on the schedule for the 2028 Games in L.A. was taken before the Paris Games, so it will be a while until we see it at the Olympics again.

Kayak cross also made its Olympic debut with canoe slalom athletes racing directly against one another, rather than just the clock.

Some athletics track events saw the introduction of a repechage round, giving a second chance to athletes who failed to qualify for event semi-finals.

There were three 'optional' events in Paris that will be made permanent for the 2028 Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). These are skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.

All three were first introduced at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 on an optional basis and have proven popular with spectators.

The Los Angeles Games will also see the return of baseball, softball, lacrosse and cricket, the latter having not featured at the Olympics since 1900.

Meanwhile, flag football and squash will be introduced for the very first time.

Another major change to the Olympics schedule in 2028 could be the scrapping of boxing, which has not yet been confirmed for Los Angeles because of issues regarding the governance of the sport.

The competition was organised by the IOC in Paris after it stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognition over allegations of corruption, including governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues.

The IOC has warned that a decision on boxing's Olympic future must be made in 2025, and that if a new governing body cannot be found then it will not feature in L.A.