By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) -Los Angeles marked 1,000 days to go until its first Paralympic Games by unveiling on Wednesday an initial competition schedule for the 2028 event, which organizers say will feature more sports, sessions and medals than ever before.
The LA28 organizing committee said the event would include 23 sports and 560 medal events across 294 sessions, developed with international federations and Olympic Broadcasting Services to balance athlete wellbeing with global broadcast opportunities.
“Los Angeles’ first Paralympic Games means so much to all of us, and our teams have made it their mission to create a competition schedule guided by and geared toward the needs of the athletes,” Ileana Rodriguez, LA28 vice president of Paralympic strategy and relations, told Reuters.
“These Games are designed with both athletes and the global audience in mind, as we collectively count down the days to an unforgettable experience together.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city would host its first Paralympic Games with a record number of women athletes competing on the world stage.
The 2028 opening ceremony is set for Aug. 15, 2028 at SoFi Stadium, with the close on Aug. 27 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The first Paralympic champions in Los Angeles will be crowned on Day 1 in Para athletics, wheelchair fencing, shooting Para sport, Para equestrian and Para track cycling.
Para climbing makes its Paralympic debut with four days of competition from Day 9, while wheelchair rugby and sitting volleyball will use extended formats with play-in rounds.
Organizers said a more detailed, event-by-event schedule is expected in 2026.
(Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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