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The female 100m title race will take center stage on the inaugural day of competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as a key element in organisers' plans to “open with a bang”.

The unanticipated choice, resulting in each heat of the 100m taking place on the single day, was welcomed by American track athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, who remarked that it showed “the sport is enjoying a resurgence”.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith endorsed the switch for the Games, scheduled 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, the sport’s governing body announced it had consulted widely with participants to guarantee they were on board the decision.

“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 permit as many athletes as possible to “enter more than one race”, not just in disciplines such as the 100m and 200m but additionally the middle-distance runs and the 1500m and 5,000m. The organization stated there would be a decade’s worth of events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with a mixed 100m relay making its debut, plus three days of road events at the end of the Olympics.

“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.”

However, the line-up renders it improbable that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may run in both the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the 400m hurdles semi-finals and the 400m final are on the same day.

Swimming has historically kicked off the Olympics. But as it is being held in SoFi Stadium, where the inaugural event, it will now start in the following week.

Planners also confirmed that day one will feature the highest number of female championship events ever in a single day in Olympic history, with the women’s triathlon gold medal one of the prizes available. They arranged a Super Saturday on the second-to-last day, with 26 gold medals across 23 sports up for grabs.

Shana Ferguson, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, explained the aim is to offer approximately 14,000,000 tickets across 51 events at 49 venues, with general ticket sales scheduled to open in spring 2026. It was also confirmed that planners would not employ the disputed flexible ticket pricing that sparked criticism among Oasis fans recently and was trialled by the football governing body at football’s Club World Cup in the United States.