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The women's 100m final is set to feature on the opening day of events at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as a key element in planners' strategies to “open with a bang”.

The surprise choice, which will lead to each heat of the 100m occurring on the identical date, received support by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who stated that it showed “athletics is stepping into the spotlight”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the change for the Olympics, set from July 15th to 30th. “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.

Although runners usually run a maximum of twice a day, World Athletics stated it had consulted widely with competitors to ensure they supported the decision.

“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.’”

The international federation detailed it had intentionally designed the schedule to permit as many athletes as possible to “compete in multiple events”, not just in disciplines including the 100m and 200m but also the middle-distance runs and the longer track events. Officials confirmed that there would be a decade’s worth of competition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, as well as 72 hours of road events at the end of the Games.

“Our athletics agenda begins explosively as women’s speedsters lead the way on opening day,” commented Seb Coe, head of World Athletics. “It’s a timetable that merges novelty with heritage, concluding with the men’s marathon.”

However, the line-up renders it improbable that American athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may participate in the 400m and the 400 hurdles, because the hurdles semifinals and the 400-meter championship occur simultaneously.

Aquatics has historically initiated the Olympics. Yet because it is being held in SoFi Stadium, which hosts the inaugural event, it commences in the following week.

Officials also confirmed that day one will include the highest number of female championship events ever in a 24-hour period in Olympic history, with the female triathlon title among those up for grabs. They arranged a action-packed Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 first-place awards across 23 disciplines up for grabs.

Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, explained the aim is to sell about 14 million tickets across 51 events at 49 locations, with general ticket sales scheduled to open in spring 2026. It was also confirmed that planners are avoiding the controversial variable pricing strategy that caused anger among Oasis fans this past summer and was trialled by the football governing body at the international club tournament in the US.