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This female 100m final will take center stage on the first day of competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as part of planners' plans to “launch spectacularly”.

The surprise decision, resulting in each heat of the 100m occurring on the same day, was welcomed by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who remarked that it indicated “athletics is stepping into the spotlight”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the change for the Olympics, set 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.

Although sprinters typically race no more than twice per day, the sport’s governing body announced it had engaged extensively with athletes to guarantee they supported the decision.

“To be the pre-eminent event on the first night of competition in the historic LA Memorial Coliseum – when we presented it to the athletes that way, there was excitement,” said Janet Evans, the chief athlete officer for the Games. “A majority of athletes said to me: ‘Just let me know. Let me know early, and I’ll start training to run three 100s in one day.’”

The international federation clarified it had intentionally designed the program to allow as many competitors as possible to “enter more than one race”, not only in disciplines such as the sprints 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 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, plus three days of street competitions 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.”

However, the line-up suggests it’s doubtful that American athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone can participate in the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the 400m hurdles semi-finals and the 400m final fall on the identical date.

Swimming has customarily kicked off the Olympics. However, since it is being held in SoFi Stadium, which hosts the inaugural event, it begins in the second week.

Officials further stated that the first day will showcase the highest number of female championship events ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the women’s triathlon gold medal one of the prizes available. Additionally, they planned a mega 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, noted the aim is to offer approximately 14,000,000 tickets across 51 disciplines at 49 venues, with public availability starting in spring 2026. Ferguson also confirmed that planners would not employ the disputed variable pricing strategy that caused anger among Oasis fans in the summer and tested by Fifa at the international club tournament in the US.