Para climbing to be included in the LA28 Paralympic Games

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board has approved a proposal from the LA28 Organising Committee to include para climbing into the 2028 Paralympic Sport Programme.

This means that the LA28 Paralympic Games will now feature 23 sports - the 22 sports that were initially approved by the IPC in January 2023, and Para climbing which will make its Paralympic debut in 2028.

The move marks the first time an organising committee has ever proposed an additional sport to the Paralympic program.

"Los Angeles' diversity and culture of inclusion offers the ideal stage to host the city's first Paralympic Games and elevate the Paralympic Movement worldwide," said LA28 chairperson and president Casey Wasserman.

At Rio 2016, para canoe and para triathlon were included in the Paralympic Games sport programme for the first time, while at Tokyo 2020 para badminton and para taekwondo made their Paralympic debuts.

Marco Scolaris, President of International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), said: “Thank you to the IPC for welcoming us as part of the Paralympic family, but thanks must also go to the LA28 organising committee for believing in our sport and making history for the both of us.”

“By proposing climbing as an additional sport they have given us another opportunity to  fulfil our purpose – to make the world a better place through climbing. All of our para athletes do this every day, and now they can do it on the world stage for all to see at the Paralympic Games.”

Para climbing will join an LA28 program that includes blind football (soccer), boccia, goalball, para archery, para athletics, para badminton, para canoe, para cycling, para equestrian, para judo, para powerlifting and para rowing. Para swimming, para table tennis, para taekwondo, para triathlon, shooting para sport, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis round out the program.

LA28 had the opportunity to add para surfing but declined, saying the decision was based on striking a balance between its commitment to growing the Paralympics while managing the size of the Games and its financial responsibility toward the city.