World Aquatics has unveiled a radical new qualification plan for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, introducing six new 50-metre stroke races to the swimming programme for the first time. The official timing standards are still to be ratified by the IOC this week, but the framework for the changes has been presented.
The new events confirmed for LA28 are the men's and women's 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, and 50m butterfly. The addition of these sprint races is a landmark moment, but it comes alongside a significant reduction in the athlete quota.
Swimming will host 830 athletes at the Los Angeles Games, a reduction from the 852 who competed in Paris. This means World Aquatics has had to fit a "bigger foot into the same-size shoe," with the added events necessitating tough decisions. The reallocated places have been shifted to women's water polo, where the addition of two teams will raise the field to 12, matching the men's competition and ensuring full gender balance.
The changes are part of a broader push to refresh and reinvigorate Olympic swimming and align with the Games’ vision of inclusion and equality. The increase in mixed-gender events will make up a significant portion of the programme, reflecting a commitment to gender parity across all aquatic sports.
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