Trend sports at the Olympics: what will change at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles

"These are superheroines!" the speaker shouted into the microphone at the Olympic premiere in breaking at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Thousands of fans cheered him on. Just like 3x3 basketball, skateboarding or BMX freestyle - the young trend sports were particularly popular on one of the most famous squares in the City of Love at the 2024 Summer Olympics and reached millions of viewers worldwide on TV.

This also applied to climbing in Le Bourget, the wild kayak cross in front of 15,000 fans in the white water of Vaires-sur-Marne and, to a lesser extent - due to the competitions being held on the Cote d'Azur - to the kitesurfers at their Olympic premiere in Marseille.

At the center of the Olympic attention in Paris, however, were the B-girls in the Breaking. This had something to do above all with their sensational protagonists in a sport that rejects the commonly known name of breakdancing.

After her performance, Afghan Talash showed off a blue cape with the words "Free Afghan Woman" written on it. The young woman had fled her home country after the Taliban took power and competed for the international refugee team at the 2024 Olympics. "If I had stayed in Afghanistan, I wouldn't have survived. They would have executed me or stoned me to death," she said. Talash's political message, which was banned at the Olympics, was punished with disqualification but recognized worldwide.

Australian Rachel Gunn triggered even more controversy around the planet. The 36-year-old B-girl with the stage name Raygun divided the public with her Kangaroo moves. She was met with so much hatred, especially on social media, that she had to publicly defend herself against the attacks. Rachel Gunn researches the "cultural politics of breaking" in her main job as an academic.

For the expert, one thing is clear: Breaking has gained unprecedented importance in the sports industry thanks to the worldwide enthusiasm triggered by the Olympic premiere, especially among the young target group. This makes it all even more incomprehensible, and not just for Raygun, that the sport will no longer be an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The decision had already been made before the spectacular performances of Paris.

"It's very disappointing that breaking wasn't chosen for LA, especially as the sport has its origins in the USA," said Rachel Gunn in Paris: "But maybe they're annoyed now, especially as there are great American B-girls and B-boys."

Nevertheless, Breaking is unlikely to have a chance of returning to the Olympics until 2032 at the Brisbane Summer Games in Raygun's home country of Australia. In Los Angeles in 2028, on the other hand, they are focusing on completely different new sports in the program. However, these have little to do with the "rejuvenation" of the Summer Games envisaged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Most of them, such as softball/baseball - last Olympic in 2021 - lacrosse, the after 1908 non-olympic team sport, and flag football are primarily American. The low-contact version of American football, which is hardly known worldwide, will celebrate its Olympic premiere, as will the backstroke sport of squash.

There will also be changes to well-known Olympic disciplines in 2028 in the shadow of Hollywood. Following serious mistreatment of horses, show jumping in the modern pentathlon will be replaced by an extreme obstacle course modeled after a ninja warrior course. In rowing, a beach sprint is planned in which running is combined with water sports.

The role money plays in the Olympics is shown by the return of cricket to the program of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles after a break of 128 years. "We have seen the growing international importance of cricket and there is a growing Indian community in the USA. It is therefore very attractive for LA and for the Olympic movement," says Thomas Bach.

What the IOC President does not say explicitly is that India, an extremely exciting billion-dollar country for the mega-business of the Olympics, wants to bid to host the 2036 Summer Games. And because cricket is already being included in LA, according to information from the industry portal "insidethegames", TV revenues from India will increase by a whopping 130 million euros!

The new sports are also exciting for large companies in the sports business. Adidas boss Björn Gulden for example, has recognized that cool, young sports such as climbing, skateboarding, BMX racing or breaking can be used to polish up the image. "Focusing on the four or five biggest sports is all too easy and, frankly, it's stupid," Gulden said in an interview. "I want Adidas to be visible again in the smaller sports too."

Breaking is particularly exciting here, because new target groups and markets can be tapped into with hip clothing. For example, Adidas has signed Liu Qingyi - also known as "B-Girl 671" - under contract. She won bronze at the Olympics in Paris. Nike, as the supplier of various top breaking teams such as the USA and Puma, have also recognized this - making it all the more bitter that the trend sport of "superheroines" now has to take a forced break from the Olympics.