Tokyo, Shanghai, Montreal and Orlando to host expanded Olympic Q-Series on road to LA28

Four world-class cities will host the Olympic Q-Series (formerly the Olympic Qualifier Series) in an exciting and expanded format on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that, in 2028, Tokyo (Japan), Shanghai (People’s Republic of China), Montreal (Canada) and Orlando (USA) will each host one stop of the series. The sports programme for each stop will be confirmed at a later date, with 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, climbing, flag football and skateboarding set to feature.

Speaking about this news, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “The Q-Series is an exciting global event on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games. It's one format, four stops six sports. The goal is to boost athlete visibility and global fan engagement. We cannot wait for the series to kick off."

She continued: “We believe the Olympic Q-Series will be really exciting for fans and for the host cities. The fans will be right there with the action – the festival feel, the sport, music, culture – coming to life in iconic cities. It will be fast paced and high energy, with lots of action, world-class athletes and a huge focus on youth.”

The Olympic Q-Series is the result of a collaboration between the IOC and six International Federations. It will form a central pillar of the qualification pathway, offering athletes a decisive opportunity to secure direct quota places for LA28 shortly before the Games begin.

The four-stop series will feature two back-to-back events, first in Asia in May, then in North America in June. It opens in Tokyo, the city where 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle, climbing and skateboarding made their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Just one week later, the event lands in Shanghai, returning to the city where the Q-Series began in 2024.

In June, the series crosses the Pacific to Montreal, back to the iconic 1976 Olympic Park as it reopens to a new generation. The journey comes to a close in Orlando, drawing athletes and fans to the East Coast of the US on the final stretch of the road to the LA28 Olympic Games.

• Stop 1: Tokyo, 4-7 May 2028

• Stop 2: Shanghai, 11-14 May 2028

• Stop 3: Montreal, 1-4 June 2028

• Stop 4: Orlando, 8-11 June 2028

BMX freestyle, climbing and skateboarding are making a return following their inclusion in the inaugural edition in 2024, while 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball and flag football further strengthen the Q-Series programme and reflect the continued evolution of the Olympic sports programme, particularly in youth-focused disciplines.

The sports that will feature in each of the stops will be confirmed in due course.

The decision to elevate and expand the Olympic Q-Series builds on the strong success of the inaugural Olympic Qualifier Series in 2024. Events in Shanghai and Budapest (Hungary) demonstrated the effectiveness of the concept, bringing together multiple sports in compact, festival-style urban settings that delivered the highest level of competition, significant spectator attendance, exciting partner activations and substantial global broadcast and digital engagement.

The expanded 2028 edition reinforces the IOC’s continued commitment to placing athletes and sports at the forefront in the lead-up to the Games, by enhancing the visibility of the qualifiers, supporting International Federations and creating a vibrant atmosphere designed to connect with the next generation of fans.

By bringing six sports together in one series across multiple cities, the Olympic Q-Series makes the road to the Games easier to follow, more visible and more exciting for fans and athletes alike.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers. The IOC EB today lifted the recommended conditions of participation for International Federations and international sports event organisers of 28 February 2022 and 28 March 2023 as they relate to Belarus and Belarusian athletes, including the protective measures.

As the IOC continues to navigate the ever-increasing complex realities and consequences of the current geopolitical context, including the rising number of wars and conflicts and amidst growing global instability, it must uphold its mission to preserve a values-based and truly global sporting platform that provides hope to the world.

This objective has been reaffirmed through the wide-ranging discussions that have taken place as part of the “Fit for the Future” process, during which the fundamental right of athletes to access sport and compete free from political interference or governmental pressure was confirmed by the IOC Executive Board in September 2025 and reaffirmed at the Olympic Summit in December 2025.

The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict.

Since the issuance of the IOC recommendations for IFs and international sports event organisers on 28 March 2023, athletes with a Belarusian passport have participated as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in numerous international sporting events, as well as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, without any incident on or off the field of play.

In addition, the IOC recognises that the qualification period for both the LA28 Olympic Games and the Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games starts this summer.

The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus. The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter. Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension, it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.

The IOC EB also noted with concern the recent information that has led to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) looking into the Russian anti-doping system. The IOC EB would therefore like to obtain a better understanding of this situation.