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

The surprise move, resulting in each heat of the 100m occurring on the single day, was welcomed by American track athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, who stated that it demonstrated “the sport is enjoying a resurgence”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith supported the change for the Games, 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.

While runners normally run a maximum of twice a day, World Athletics announced it had consulted widely with competitors to ensure they were on board 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.’”

World Athletics clarified it had intentionally designed the timetable to permit as many competitors as possible to “enter more than one race”, not just in disciplines including the 100m and 200m but also the middle-distance runs and the 1500m and 5,000m. Officials confirmed that there would be a decade’s worth of events at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, along with three days of road events at the conclusion 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 makes it unlikely that American athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone can compete in the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the hurdles semifinals and the 400-meter championship are on the same day.

Swimming has traditionally kicked off the Summer Games. But as it is taking place in SoFi Stadium, where the inaugural event, it begins in the second week.

Organisers also confirmed that the first day will include the highest number of female championship events ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the female triathlon title one of the prizes available. They arranged a action-packed Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 titles across 23 sports available.

An LA28 official, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, said the plan is to offer approximately 14,000,000 tickets across 51 events at 49 venues, with public sales due to begin in spring 2026. Officials added that planners are avoiding the contentious flexible ticket pricing that caused anger among music enthusiasts in the summer and was trialled by the football governing body at the Club World Cup in the United States.