LA28 has presented the full competition schedule for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, detailing medal events across 14 days of activity. It will be the first time Los Angeles hosts the Paralympic Games, and the edition is being presented as the biggest in history, with 560 medal events, the highest figure since Seoul 1988, 23 sports, more than 1,100 hours of competition and almost 20 venues spread across seven zones in the region.
The schedule does not only define when competition takes place, but how visibility is built around the event. The organisers are planning an edition with more days of competition, more finals, the largest number of Paralympic athletes in history and the most gender-balanced quota to date. Janet Evans, LA28 Chief Athlete Officer, described the Paralympic Games as a “must-see” elite sporting event and said that, with more sports and days of competition than ever before, LA28 is setting the stage for “legendary” Paralympic Games.
Para Climbing and new events to expand the programme
The major sporting novelty will be the Paralympic debut of Para Climbing, confirmed for the LA28 programme in 2024. The discipline will take place from 24 to 27 August 2028, with 80 athletes, 40 men and 40 women, across eight medal events. The competition will include six sessions: two preliminary sessions and four finals sessions, where Paralympic champions in the discipline will be crowned for the first time. LA28 also notes that this will be the first time an organising committee has added a sport to the Paralympic programme, a relevant precedent for how future hosts may influence the evolution of the schedule.
The programme will also include three new events: one women’s event in Para Table Tennis, another women’s event in Para Triathlon and a new Para Swimming relay for athletes with an intellectual impairment. In table tennis and triathlon, the change separates women’s classifications that were grouped together at Paris 2024, better aligning the women’s programme with the men’s and advancing gender parity. LA28 will have 45% of quota places allocated to women, compared with 42% at Paris 2024, while six sports will seek to achieve gender parity for the first time: Para Archery, Boccia, Para Judo, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis and Para Triathlon.
Sports before the ceremony and a longer structure
Another relevant difference will be the start of competition before the Opening Ceremony. LA28 will be the first Paralympic Games with sports beginning before Day 0: Wheelchair Rugby will start on Day -2 and Boccia on Day -1, before the Opening Ceremony on 15 August 2028. The organisers argue that this formula will expand exposure for these disciplines and spread competition across more days, while ensuring that no athlete is eliminated before the ceremony.
The schedule is also supported by a compact distribution across the Los Angeles region. Competitions will take place in almost 20 venues and seven zones, all within a 35-mile radius, with the aim of reducing travel and creating a more accessible experience for athletes and spectators. The model fits within LA28’s broader philosophy of using existing infrastructure and not building new permanent venues for the Games.
A finale designed to concentrate champions
The final stretch of the schedule is designed to concentrate the greatest sporting impact. Saturday 26 August 2028, named Super Saturday, will feature 15 finals sessions and more than 50 gold medals across sports including Para Archery, Para Badminton, Para Canoe, Para Climbing, Para Cycling Road, Para Judo, Para Powerlifting, Para Swimming, Para Table Tennis, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis.
The final day of competition, 27 August, will include seven finals sessions and 20 medals before the Closing Ceremony, the highest number of medals awarded on the final day of a Paralympic Games since Atlanta 1996. Ileana Rodriguez, LA28 vice president of Paralympic Strategy and Relations, said the organisation has the opportunity to “break barriers” and redefine what the Paralympic Movement and disability representation can mean for the next generation. Tickets will go on sale in 2027, while LA28 will announce further details on pending venues, including Para Powerlifting, the Paralympic marathon course, Para Cycling Road and Para Triathlon.
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