Following the International Olympic Committee’s confirmation that Tokyo will host a qualifying series for urban sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Japanese Olympic Committee held a press conference in Tokyo on the 8th. JOC President Seiko Hashimoto (61) said, “We’re looking at places like Yoyogi or Harajuku, where young people gather and culture thrives. We want to connect art, fashion, music, and food culture through the power of sports, and work hard to create a creative event.” The qualifying series is scheduled to take place during Golden Week, from May 4 to 7, 2028, at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. The specific sports will be decided later, but four to five events are expected. The Olympic Qualifier Series is a competition where athletes vie for spots in urban sports such as skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, sport climbing, beach volleyball, flag football, and BMX freestyle. The series will be held in four cities, starting in Tokyo, followed by Shanghai (China), Montreal (Canada), and Orlando (USA). Urban sports were first introduced at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and JOC Executive Director Yuki Ota expressed his delight, saying, “In a way, Tokyo is the birthplace of these sports, so I’m truly happy to bring them back here.” Reflecting on the spectator-free 2021 Olympics, Ota added, “That wasn’t a complete experience. This event is very important because it gives us a chance to reclaim the celebratory atmosphere that should have filled those games, and we expect large crowds.”
