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This female 100m final will headline the first day of competition at the LA28 Olympic Games as a key element in organisers' strategies to “start with excitement”.

This unexpected move, which will lead to all three rounds of the 100m taking place on the single day, was welcomed 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 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.

While sprinters normally race no more than twice per day, the sport’s governing body stated it had sought input broadly with athletes to ensure they agreed with the arrangement.

“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 carefully structured the program to enable as many competitors as possible to “enter more than one race”, not just in disciplines like the sprints but also the 800m and 1500m and the 1500m and 5,000m. The organization stated there would be a decade’s worth of events at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay making its debut, along with three days of road events at the conclusion of the Games.

“We’ve developed a track and field schedule that kicks off spectacularly with female sprinters in the spotlight on the first day,” stated Seb Coe, World Athletics president. “This programme blends creativity with respect for customs, featuring the men’s marathon on the closing day.”

Yet, the schedule renders it improbable that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may compete in the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the hurdles semifinals and the 400-meter championship fall on the identical date.

Aquatics has customarily started the Summer Games. Yet because it is occurring in SoFi Stadium, where the opening ceremony, it commences in the second week.

Organisers further stated that the first day will include the most women’s finals ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the female triathlon title one of the prizes available. They have also scheduled a action-packed Saturday on the second-to-last day, with 26 titles across 23 disciplines at stake.

Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, explained the goal is to distribute around 14,000,000 tickets across 51 Olympic sports at 49 locations, with public availability starting in spring 2026. Officials added that planners are avoiding the contentious dynamic pricing model that sparked criticism among music enthusiasts recently and was trialled by Fifa at the international club tournament in the United States.