British swimming legend Adam Peaty has confirmed his intent to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, spurred by the inclusion of six new swimming events. Among them is the long-awaited 50m breaststroke — a race Peaty, the current world record holder over the distance, has long championed.
Calling the decision “amazing,” Peaty praised the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) move to add 50m races in the backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke categories — events previously contested only at the World Championships. Until now, the Olympic 50m sprint was exclusive to freestyle.
“This confirms my attempt to be at my fourth Olympic Games,” Peaty shared via Instagram. “It’s the best result for our incredible sport and will allow more people to be part of it and stay in it much longer. Thank you @world_aquatics for this amazing decision. I’ve got a good feeling about these next three years.”
Peaty, a double Olympic gold medalist in the 100m breaststroke, had previously left fans in suspense over his future in the sport. But the prospect of chasing a new Olympic title has reignited his competitive fire.
With the addition of the six new sprint events, the total number of swimming gold medals at LA28 rises to 41 — up from 35 at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This marks a significant expansion of the program and offers more athletes a chance to compete and shine on the world’s biggest stage.
Cameron McEvoy of Australia, the reigning Olympic 50m freestyle champion, noted the shift in the sport’s dynamics, joking, “50m specialist training methods now a hot commodity after dunking on it for so many years.”
World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam applauded the IOC’s decision, stating, “This is a testament to the continued evolution of swimming at the Olympic Games. These new events enhance balance in the program and offer athletes greater opportunity to showcase their skills.”
In total, aquatics will award 55 medals in LA28 — more than any other Olympic sport — across swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water events.
In a broader commitment to gender equality, the IOC also announced that the number of female athletes at the LA28 Games will surpass male athletes for the first time: 5,333 women to 5,167 men. This includes expansions such as 16 teams in the women’s football tournament (compared to 12 for men), an additional weight category in women’s boxing, and two more women’s water polo teams.
New mixed-team events have also been approved in golf, artistic gymnastics, table tennis, and athletics, with the addition of a 4x100m mixed relay in track and field.
Swimming, one of only four sports featured in every Olympic Games since 1896, continues to evolve — and with champions like Adam Peaty rejoining the Olympic journey, the pool promises even more historic moments in Los Angeles.
