The International Paralympic Committee confirmed this week the medal event programme and athlete quotas for the LA28 Paralympic Games. The event will feature 552 medal competitions and a total of 4,400 athlete quota places, maintaining the same number as Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020.

Of the 22 sports initially included in the programme by the IPC Governing Board in January 2023, 243 medal events will be allocated to female athletes, eight more than in Paris 2024. Meanwhile, the events for male athletes will decrease to 263, eight fewer than the previous edition. Additionally, mixed or open-gender medal events will increase to 46, three more than in Paris 2024.

Increase in female participation and mixed events

Of the 4,400 available quota places, 1,967 will be allocated to female athletes, representing 45% of the total and an increase of 107 places compared to Paris 2024. Male athletes will have 2,228 places (51%), 27 more than in the previous edition. Gender-free quota places will decrease to 205, a reduction of 134 spots.

For the second consecutive Paralympic Games, the medal events in goalball, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball will feature eight teams in both the men’s and women’s categories. Similarly, eight teams will compete in blind football and wheelchair rugby.

The debut of Para climbing at the Paralympic Games

Para climbing will make its debut at the LA28 Paralympic Games as the 23rd sport included in the programme, following its proposal by the Organising Committee and approval by the IPC Governing Board. This sport will feature eight medal events (four male and four female) with a maximum of 10 athletes per event.

With the inclusion of Para climbing, a record 17 sports will achieve gender parity in their medal event programmes. Additionally, 16 sports will offer an equal number of quota places for male and female athletes, the highest number in Paralympic history, with six new sports achieving this equality compared to Paris 2024.

“World-class sporting action”

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, highlighted the complexity of the process to define the medal event programme and athlete quotas. “We believe the final programme will ensure world-class sporting action across all 23 sports, drive efficiencies for the organisers, and provide clarity for National Paralympic Committees to prepare their performance programmes for LA28,” he stated.

Parsons also expressed gratitude to the International Federations for their collaboration in this process and emphasised that the result not only represents the largest and most gender-balanced medal event programme in Paralympic history but also reflects the “pinnacle of Para sport.”