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This women's 100m title race will headline the opening day of competition at the LA28 Olympic Games as part of organisers' strategies to “launch spectacularly”.

This unexpected move, which will lead to every stage of the 100m being held on the same day, received support by American track athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, who remarked that it indicated “athletics is stepping into the spotlight”.

The UK’s Dina Asher-Smith supported the change for the Games, scheduled from July 15th to 30th. “It’s such an exciting opportunity – celebrating the enduring legacy, strength and global power of women’s sprinting, exactly 100 years on from the first time women competed in Olympic track and field,” she added.

Although sprinters typically race no more than twice per day, the sport’s governing body confirmed it had engaged extensively with competitors to make certain they were on board the arrangement.

“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 clarified it had intentionally designed the program to enable as many athletes as possible to “double up”, not only in disciplines such as the 100m and 200m but additionally the middle-distance runs and the 1500m and 5,000m. It said that there would be 10 days’ worth of competition at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, plus 72 hours of street competitions at the end of the Games.

“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.”

Nonetheless, the agenda suggests it’s doubtful that American athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone can compete in the 400m and the 400 hurdles, given the hurdles semifinals and the 400m final fall on the identical date.

Swimming has customarily started the Olympics. Yet because it is occurring in SoFi Stadium, which hosts the inaugural event, it begins in the following week.

Officials additionally announced that day one will showcase the most women’s finals ever in a single day in Games’ history, with the female triathlon title one of the prizes available. They have also scheduled a Super Saturday on the second-to-last day, with 26 first-place awards across 23 sports up for grabs.

An LA28 official, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, noted the plan is to offer approximately 14 million tickets across 51 events at 49 sites, with public availability scheduled to open in April 2026. It was also confirmed that planners would not employ the disputed flexible ticket pricing that caused anger among Oasis fans in the summer and was trialled by Fifa at football’s Club World Cup in the US.