For Sailing to remain in the Olympics

In Olympic parlance, there are sports and those sports have events. For the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the two heavy hitters are Swimming and Athletics which lead all 36 sports in having 49 and 48 events, respectively. In comparison, Sailing has 10 events, and the number of events correlates to value.

Swimming and Athletics are very valuable, and if Sailing wants to remain an Olympic sport, it may follow their lead. Here are two updates from Athletics:

• The international governing body approved the introduction of cheek swabs and dry blood tests to determine if an athlete is biologically female to protect the female category in sport. Athletics has become the first global sporting institution to introduce DNA tests for elite female athletes. “We will doggedly protect the female ­category and do whatever is necessary to do it, and we’re not just talking about it,” reports World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe. – Full report

• Athletics will maintain the suspension on athletes from Russia and Belarus, originally imposed since March 2022, due to the war in Ukraine. “The recommendation of the working group was to maintain the current sanctions with no need to amend them unless there is a significant deterioration in the situation or a peace agreement is reached,” Coe explained, justifying a decision that will continue to keep athletes from both nations out of all international competition. – Full report

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Los Angeles or Long Beach
Dates: July 21-August 6

* World Sailing voted to keep the Paris 2024 Sailing Program for Los Angeles 2028, but the program is not final until the IOC approves all events, which usually occurs between December 2024 and January 2025. To date, this decision has not been made.