LA28 Paralympics Medal Event Programs and Athlete Quotas
Author: International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
Published: 2025/06/03
Publication Type: Announcement
Category Topic: 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics - Academic Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This report details the International Paralympic Committee's confirmation of medal events and athlete quotas for the LA28 Paralympic Games, highlighting the inclusion of Para climbing as a debut sport and a record commitment to gender parity across 23 sports. With 552 medal events and 4,400 athlete quota places - matching the numbers from Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 - the LA28 Games will see 243 events for women (an increase of eight), 263 for men (a decrease of eight), and 46 mixed-gender events. Notably, 17 sports will achieve gender parity in medal events, and 16 sports will offer equal quota places to male and female athletes, marking the most balanced program in Paralympic history. This information is particularly useful for athletes, coaches, and national committees preparing for the Games, and it offers valuable insight for people with disabilities and seniors interested in accessible sport, as it reflects ongoing efforts to create more inclusive and equitable opportunities in elite athletics - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
- Para climbing to feature eight medal events with 10 athletes contesting each event.
- The initial 22 sports approved by the IPC will feature 552 medal events and a total of 4,400 quota places.
Main Content
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed the medal events and athlete quotas for the LA28 Paralympic Games on Wednesday (3 June).
With regards to the 22 sports that were included by the IPC Governing Board in the initial sport program for LA28 in January 2023, there will be 552 medal events and a total of 4,400 athlete quota places - the same number of quota places as for Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020.
Across the 22 sports, there will be 243 medal events for female athletes (44 per cent), eight more than for Paris 2024, while the number of medal events for male athletes has been reduced by eight to 263 (48 per cent). The number of open or mixed gender medal events has increased by three to 46 (eight per cent).
Of the 4,400 athlete quota places available across the 22 sports initially included, 1,967 are for female Para athletes (45 per cent), 107 more than for Paris 2024. There will be 2,228 quota slots for male Para athletes (51 per cent), 27 more than Paris 2024, and 205 gender-free slots (five per cent), a reduction of 134 places.
For the second successive Paralympic Games, the men's and women's medal events in goalball, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball will each feature eight teams. Eight teams will also contest the blind football and wheelchair rugby competitions.
Para climbing, a sport proposed by the Organizing Committee and approved by the IPC Governing Board to make its Paralympic debut at LA28, will have eight medal events (four male and four female) and have a maximum of 10 athletes contesting each medal event.
With Para climbing's inclusion in LA28 as a 23rd sport, a record 17 sports will have gender parity in terms of their medal event programs. Sixteen sports will offer an equal number of quota places to male and female athletes, the most ever, with six new sports achieving this compared to Paris 2024.
Full list of medal events and athlete quotas
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
"Finalizing the medal event program and athlete quotas for a Paralympic Games is always a complex exercise and LA28 was no different. We believe the final medal event program will ensure world class sporting action across all 23 sports, drive efficiencies for the organizers, and provide clarity for National Paralympic Committees to finalize their preparations and performance programs for LA28."
"We are grateful to all the International Federations who collaborated on this process. With the addition of Para climbing, the result is not just the largest medal event program and most-gender balanced athlete quota in the history of the Paralympic Games, but one that also represents the pinnacle of Para sport to serve as the core for transformational Games."
The International Federations of the 22 sports included on the program initially approved by the IPC in January 2023 put forward proposals to include a total of 598 medal events in the LA28 Paralympic Games, with 13 International Federations looking to increase their respective number of medal events compared to Paris 2024.
The 22 International Federations also requested a total of 4,811 athlete quota places, 411 places more than the maximum number allowed to compete at a Paralympic Games.
The LA28 Paralympic Games will take place between 15-27 August 2028.
LA28 Paralympic Games Medal Event Program (Including Para Climbing)
• Numbers in brackets denote changes compared to Paris 2024.
| SPORT | MALE EVENTS | FEMALE EVENTS | MIXED/OPEN EVENTS | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Sport Program | ||||
| 1. Blind football | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2. Boccia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 3. Goalball | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4. Para archery | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 5. Para athletics | 84 (-6) | 79 (+6) | 1 | 164 |
| 6. Para badminton | 7 | 7 | 2 | 16 |
| 7. Para canoe | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 8. Para cycling | 28 (-1) | 21 (+1) | 2 | 51 |
| 9. Para equestrian | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| 10. Para judo | 8 | 8 | 0 | 16 |
| 11. Para powerlifting | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| 12. Para rowing | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 13. Para swimming | 71 | 64 | 7 (+1) | 142 (+1) |
| 14. Para table tennis | 15 | 15 (+1) | 2 | 32 (+1) |
| 15. Para taekwondo | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 16. Para triathlon | 6 | 6 (+1) | 0 | 12 (+1) |
| 17. Shooting Para sport | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| 18. Sitting volleyball | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 19. Wheelchair basketball | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20. Wheelchair fencing | 7 (-1) | 7 (-1) | 2 (+2) | 16 |
| 21. Wheelchair rugby | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 22. Wheelchair tennis | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Sub-total | 263 (-8) | 243 (+8) | 46 (+3) | 552 (+3) |
| LA28 proposed sport | ||||
| 23. Para climbing | 4 (+4) | 4 (+4) | 0 | 8 (+8) |
| Total | 267 (-4) | 247 (+12) | 46 (+3) | 560 (+11) |
LA28 Paralympic Games Athlete Quotas (Including Para Climbing)
• Numbers in brackets denote changes compared to Paris 2024.
| SPORT | MALE QUOTA | FEMALE QUOTA | GENDER FREE QUOTA | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Sport Program | ||||
| 1. Blind football | 64 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| 2. Boccia | 64 (+16) | 64 (+16) | 0 (-28) | 128 (+4) |
| 3. Goalball | 48 | 48 | 0 | 96 |
| 4. Para archery | 70 (-5) | 70 (+5) | 0 | 140 |
| 5. Para athletics | 570 (-14) | 509 (+24) | 0 | 1,089 (+10) |
| 6. Para badminton | 60 | 60 | 0 | 120 |
| 7. Para canoe | 50 | 50 | 0 | 100 |
| 8. Para cycling | 140 | 80 | 0 | 220 |
| 9. Para equestrian | 0 | 0 | 78 | 78 |
| 10. Para judo | 72 (+10) | 72 (+16) | 0 (-30) | 144 (-4) |
| 11. Para powerlifting | 90 (+10) | 90 (+10) | 0 (-20) | 180 |
| 12. Para rowing | 52 | 52 | 0 | 104 |
| 13. Para swimming | 325 | 280 | 0 | 605 |
| 14. Para taekwondo | 60 | 60 | 0 | 120 |
| 15. Para table tennis | 140 (-26) | 140 (+26) | 0 | 280 |
| 16. Para triathlon | 60 (+6) | 60 (+10) | 0 (-16) | 120 |
| 17. Shooting Para sport | 75 (+30) | 60 | 15 (-40) | 150 (-10) |
| 18. Sitting volleyball | 96 | 96 | 0 | 192 |
| 19. Wheelchair basketball | 96 | 96 | 0 | 192 |
| 20. Wheelchair fencing | 48 | 48 | 0 | 96 |
| 21. Wheelchair rugby | 0 | 0 | 96 | 96 |
| 22. Wheelchair tennis | 48 | 32 | 16 | 96 |
| Sub-total | 2,228 (+27) | 1,967 (+107) | 205 (-134) | 4,400 |
| LA28 Proposed Sport | ||||
| 23. Para climbing | 40 (+40) | 40 (+40) | 0 | 80 (+80) |
| Total | 2,268 (+67) | 2,007 (+147) | 205 (-134) | 4,480 (+80) |
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The LA28 Paralympic Games announcement signals a transformative step for adaptive sports, setting a new standard for gender balance and inclusivity while maintaining a robust competitive structure. The addition of Para climbing and the careful allocation of quotas ensure that a broader spectrum of athletes can participate at the highest level, reinforcing the Paralympic movement's commitment to fairness and representation. As the Games approach, these changes are poised to inspire not only the athletes but also the wider disability community and supporters of accessible sport worldwide - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and published on 2025/06/03, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.