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

The surprise decision, resulting in every stage of the 100m being held on the identical date, was welcomed by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who stated that it indicated “the sport is enjoying a resurgence”.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the adjustment for the Olympics, set from 15-30 July. “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.

While sprinters typically race no more than twice per day, World Athletics announced it had consulted widely with competitors to make certain 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 intentionally designed the schedule to allow as many competitors as possible to “enter more than one race”, not just in events including the sprints but also the middle-distance runs and the longer track events. The organization stated there would be a decade’s worth of events at the LA Coliseum, with a mixed 100m relay premiering, as well as 72 hours 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.”

Yet, the line-up makes it unlikely that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may participate in the 400m and the 400 hurdles, because the hurdles semifinals and the 400m final are on the same day.

Swimming has historically kicked off the Summer Games. Yet because it is taking place in SoFi Stadium, which hosts the inaugural event, it begins in the following week.

Organisers also confirmed that the first day will include the most women’s finals ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the women’s triathlon gold medal one of the prizes available. They arranged a mega Saturday on the penultimate day, with 26 gold medals across 23 sports up for grabs.

Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, noted the aim is to distribute around 14,000,000 passes across 51 events at 49 sites, with general ticket sales due to begin in April 2026. It was also confirmed that organisers would not employ the contentious variable pricing strategy that provoked outrage among Oasis fans in the summer and experimented with by the football governing body at the international club tournament in the United States.