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The women's 100m final will take center stage on the first day of competition at the LA28 Olympic Games as part of planners' strategies to “start with excitement”.

The unanticipated move, which will lead to each heat of the 100m being held on the identical date, received support by American track athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, who remarked that it indicated “the sport is enjoying a resurgence”.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith supported the adjustment for the Olympics, set from 15-30 July. “This is a thrilling chance – honoring the lasting impact, resilience, and worldwide influence of women’s sprinting, a full century after women first entered Olympic athletics,” she continued.

While sprinters typically race no more than twice per day, the sport’s governing body announced it had sought input broadly with athletes to guarantee 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.’”

World Athletics clarified it had deliberately arranged the program to enable as many competitors as possible to “double up”, not only in events like the sprints but also the 800m and 1500m and the 1500m and 5,000m. The organization stated there would be 10 days’ worth of competition at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay being introduced, as well as 72 hours of street competitions at the conclusion 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.”

Yet, the agenda makes it unlikely that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may run in both the 400m and the 400 hurdles, given the hurdles semifinals and the 400m final occur simultaneously.

Swimming has customarily started the Summer Games. Yet because it is occurring in the SoFi venue, where the inaugural event, it begins in the following week.

Officials also confirmed that day one will include the highest number of female championship events ever in a single day in Games’ history, with the female triathlon title one of the prizes available. They have also scheduled a mega Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 titles across 23 sports up for grabs.

Shana Ferguson, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, said the goal is to offer approximately 14,000,000 passes across 51 disciplines at 49 venues, with public availability starting in April 2026. Ferguson also confirmed that organisers are avoiding the controversial dynamic pricing model that provoked outrage among music enthusiasts recently and experimented with by the football governing body at football’s Club World Cup in the United States.