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This female 100m final will take center stage on the inaugural day of events at the LA28 Olympics as a key element in organisers' plans to “open with a bang”.

This unexpected move, resulting in each heat of the 100m taking place on the same day, received support by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who commented that it demonstrated “track and field is having its moment”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith supported 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 sprinters usually race no more than twice per day, World Athletics stated it had sought input broadly with competitors to make certain they were on board the plan.

“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.’”

World Athletics explained it had deliberately arranged the schedule to permit as many competitors as possible to “compete in multiple events”, not just in disciplines like the sprints but additionally the 800m and 1500m and the 1500m and 5,000m. It said that there would be 10 days’ worth of events at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, as well as three days of road events 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 line-up makes it unlikely that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may run in both the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the hurdles semifinals and the 400-meter championship fall on the identical date.

Swimming has customarily initiated the Olympics. However, since it is being held in SoFi Stadium, where the inaugural event, it begins in the second week.

Organisers also confirmed that the first day will feature the most women’s finals ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the women’s triathlon gold medal among those up for grabs. They have also scheduled a Super Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 titles across 23 disciplines at stake.

Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, explained the aim is to offer approximately 14 million tickets across 51 Olympic sports at 49 locations, with public availability starting in April 2026. Ferguson also confirmed that organisers are avoiding the controversial variable pricing strategy that sparked criticism among Oasis fans recently and was trialled by Fifa at the Club World Cup in the United States.