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This female 100m title race is set to feature on the inaugural day of competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as part of organisers' strategies to “open with a bang”.

This unexpected decision, which will lead to all three rounds of the 100m being held on the same day, received support by US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, who remarked that it showed “athletics is stepping into the spotlight”.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith supported the switch for the Olympics, set from July 15th to 30th. “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 usually compete up to two times daily, World Athletics confirmed it had consulted widely with participants to ensure they supported the decision.

“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 intentionally designed the timetable to allow as many competitors as possible to “enter more than one race”, not only 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 competition at the LA Coliseum, with a co-ed sprint relay making its debut, plus 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.”

Nonetheless, the line-up renders it improbable that US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may participate in the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, since the 400m hurdles semi-finals and the 400-meter championship occur simultaneously.

Aquatics has customarily kicked off the Olympics. But as it is taking place in the SoFi venue, which hosts the opening ceremony, it commences in the second week.

Organisers 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 among those up for grabs. They have also scheduled a action-packed Saturday on the second-to-last day, with 26 first-place awards across 23 sports up for grabs.

An LA28 official, the head of sport and games delivery for LA28, explained the plan is to sell about 14 million tickets across 51 disciplines at 49 venues, with public availability scheduled to open in spring 2026. Officials added that planners will not use the disputed variable pricing strategy that caused anger among music enthusiasts this past summer and was trialled by the football governing body at the Club World Cup in the United States.