Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games: Sailing to launch bid for return

Three sailing classes were competed for at the Rio Paralympics

World Sailing has launched its campaign for the sport to return to the Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

Sailing was part of the Paralympic programme from Sydney 2000 until the Rio Games in 2016.

But along with seven-a-side football, it was dropped from the schedule for Tokyo 2020 in favour of badminton and taekwondo.

A bid for inclusion at Paris 2024 failed with the 22 sports from Tokyo all retaining their spots.

But World Sailing is hopeful that a focus between now and 2023 on increasing worldwide participation and getting more young people and women involved will help their cause for LA28.

One of the reasons given for the sport's omission from Tokyo was a lack of worldwide reach but World Sailing chief executive David Graham said that over the past five years, the number of nations with Para-sailors participating in international competitions had increased by 30%.

"We know that other major sports looking for reinstatement are already drawing up their bid plans," he added.

"We know that International Paralympic Committee President, Andrew Parsons, has already publicly declared that the IPC will be looking at potential 'new sports' following the successful introduction of new, youth-focused sports at Tokyo 2020.

"We are on track to achieve our strategic priorities by 2023 but we are taking nothing for granted."

An announcement from LA28 organisers on confirmed event dates and overall athlete numbers is expected in the coming months with the IPC yet to confirm the formal bid process for sports.