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The female 100m final will headline the opening day of events at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as part of organisers' plans to “start with excitement”.

The unanticipated decision, resulting in every stage of the 100m occurring on the single day, received support by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who stated that it demonstrated “track and field is having its moment”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the adjustment for the Games, scheduled 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 sprinters usually run a maximum of twice a day, World Athletics stated it had consulted widely with competitors to ensure they supported the decision.

“Being the standout competition on day one in the legendary LA Memorial Coliseum – as we described it to the athletes, enthusiasm grew,” shared Janet Evans, the chief athlete officer. “Many runners responded: ‘Just notify me. Tell me ahead of time, and I’ll train to complete three 100m races in one day.’”

The international federation explained it had deliberately arranged the timetable to allow as many athletes as possible to “enter more than one race”, not only in disciplines including the sprints but also the 800m and 1500m and the 1500m and 5,000m. Officials confirmed that there would be a decade’s worth of competition at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, plus three days of street competitions at the end of the Olympics.

“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 schedule suggests it’s doubtful that American athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will be able to run in both the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, because the 400m hurdles semi-finals and the 400-meter championship fall on the identical date.

Swimming has customarily started the Olympics. However, since it is taking place in SoFi Stadium, where the opening ceremony, it will now start in the following week.

Officials additionally announced that day one will showcase 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 first-place awards across 23 disciplines up for grabs.

Shana Ferguson, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, noted the goal is to sell about 14 million tickets across 51 disciplines at 49 venues, with public sales scheduled to open in April 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 Fifa at the Club World Cup in the US.