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The women's 100m title race will take center stage on the inaugural day of events at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as part of planners' strategies to “open with a bang”.

The unanticipated choice, which will lead to each heat of the 100m occurring on the same day, received support by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who commented that it indicated “the sport is enjoying a resurgence”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the switch for the Games, scheduled from 15-30 July. “What an inspiring moment – marking the sustained heritage, power, and international reach of female sprinters, precisely one hundred years after their Olympic debut,” she noted.

While runners normally run a maximum of twice a day, World Athletics stated it had consulted widely with participants to ensure they supported the arrangement.

“Hosting the premier event on the opening evening at the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum – when we explained it to competitors, they were thrilled,” noted Janet Evans, the Games’ chief athlete officer. “Most athletes told me: ‘Simply inform me. Give me advance notice, and I’ll prepare to race three 100-meter events in a single day.’”

World Athletics explained it had carefully structured the timetable to allow as many athletes as possible to “compete in multiple events”, not only in events like the 100m and 200m but additionally the middle-distance runs and the 1500m and 5,000m. It said that there would be 10 days’ worth of events at the LA Coliseum, with a mixed 100m relay making its debut, plus 72 hours of road events at the end of the Olympics.

“We have landed on an athletics programme that will start with a bang as our women’s sprinters take centre stage on day one,” said the World Athletics president, Seb Coe. “It is a schedule that is both innovative but also honours tradition, with the men’s marathon on the final day.”

Yet, the agenda renders it improbable that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone can run in both the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the hurdles semifinals and the 400-meter championship occur simultaneously.

Swimming has historically kicked off the Summer Games. Yet because it is being held in SoFi Stadium, which hosts the opening ceremony, it commences in the second week.

Officials also confirmed that the first day will include the most women’s finals ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the female triathlon title among those up for grabs. Additionally, they planned a Super Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 gold medals across 23 disciplines available.

An LA28 official, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, said the goal is to offer approximately 14 million tickets across 51 Olympic sports at 49 venues, with public availability starting in spring 2026. It was also confirmed that planners will not use the controversial flexible ticket pricing that provoked outrage among music enthusiasts recently and experimented with by Fifa at football’s Club World Cup in the US.