OKLAHOMA CITY –– The voices of millions of softball athletes, coaches, officials and fans across the globe have officially been heard as the LA28 Organizing Committee and International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted the addition of five sports to the 2028 Olympic Sport Program – including Softball and Baseball. Additional sports voted for inclusion are Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse and Squash. The five added sports come in addition to the 28 Olympic sports in LA28’s initial sport program announced by the IOC in February 2022, including Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football (Soccer), Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling.
“We are delighted that baseball and softball have been confirmed as part of the sports program at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 by the IOC Session,” said World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President, Riccardo Fraccari. “The WBSC firmly believes that baseball and softball will help millions of fans engage with the Olympic Games, especially with USA being home to many of the sports’ best players and biggest stars from across the world. It is going to be an electric atmosphere in LA where the best baseball and softball athletes in the world will have the opportunity to play on the biggest stage in front of a global audience of billions.”
The six-year countdown to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games is underway with the LA28 Olympic Opening Ceremony slated for July 14, 2028, followed by the Games which will take place through July 30, 2028.
Following a successful Tokyo Olympic Games that featured exceptional social media support and impressive TV viewership for the sport of softball and baseball, the two sports will look to further spread and elevate their Olympic status in what is considered a national hub for the bat and ball sports – the United States of America, and more specifically, Los Angeles, California. The decision further highlights the loyal fan base and growing global appeal of the two sports as they have remained atop the landscape and geographical impact since the 1940’s.
“What a thrilling day for not only the sports of baseball and softball, but also for the athletes, coaches, umpires and fans that love and cherish the game across the world,” said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer, Craig Cress. “To see softball and baseball added to the LA28 Olympic Sport Program is exciting for both the global audience that the sport garners and the United States as the hotbed for some of the most talented athletes to ever play the game and the most passionate fans to fill the stands. USA Softball is proud to be the National Governing Body for the sport of softball and will continue our dedication of promoting our great sport on the world stage.”
Returning to home soil for the highly touted Olympic Games for the first time since the sport’s inaugural Olympic appearance in 1996, the U.S. Women’s National Team will look to continue its dominance as the most decorated program in the sport’s history with five Olympic medal finishes, nine Pan American Championships and 12 WBSC World Championship gold medals. Team USA has advanced to every Olympic gold medal game in the history of the sport, claiming three consecutive Olympic gold medals at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and two Olympic silver medals at the 2008 and 2020 Olympic Games. Throughout the sport’s five Olympic appearances, the U.S. has dominated the stage with numerous international records set including 18 records from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where Team USA was dubbed “The Real Dream Team” by Sports Illustrated. Among the team records set were the most hits (73), highest batting average (.343) and highest slugging percentage (.559). Additionally, three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez set the individual record for batting average with .545 while Crystl Bustos’ 10 RBI and five home runs were also recorded in the history books. In 2012, Fernandez and the 2004 U.S. Olympic Softball Team were honored for their accolades with the induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Softball and baseball have continued to thrive on the national and international stage with various fan-packed events over the last two seasons including the 2022 and 2023 Japan All-Star Series where the game was showcased in front of more than 13,000 fans spanned across three Japanese cities as well as the 2022 World Games that saw a crowd of more than 10,000 fans packed in Hoover Met Stadium to watch an Olympic gold medal game rematch between Team USA and Team Japan. Celebrating across all levels in the United States, the sport of softball also flexed an impressive 110,607 fan count during the 2023 NCAA Women’s College World Series held at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex – also known as the Softball Capital of the World® – in Oklahoma City.
“Baseball has been in the Olympics six times and softball five times and their inclusion in LA28 will excite athletes and fans across the country and around the world, inspiring a new generation of boys and girls to chase Olympic glory,” added WBSC President Fraccari.
The LA28 Games will be Los Angeles’ third time hosting the Olympic Games (previously 1932, 1984) and the first time hosting the Paralympic Games. Representing the creativity, diversity and youthful energy of the Los Angeles region, the Games will utilize existing world-class stadiums and sports venues in the area while featuring more than 3,000 hours of live action across 800 events in more than 40 sports with 15,000 athletes expected to compete.
For more information on the LA28 Olympic Games, visit LA28.org.