Women’s 100m Final to Kick Off LA28 Olympics

The LA28 Olympic Games committee has revealed that the women's 100 meters final will serve as a premier event on the inaugural day of the competition. This updated schedule marks a significant departure from previous Games, as athletics is now set for the first week rather than the traditional second week. According to officials, this revision allows swimming events to be pushed to the second week, enabling swimmers to take part in the Opening Ceremony.

The schedule adjustments are largely attributed to venue logistics at SoFi Stadium and the historic LA Memorial Coliseum. SoFi Stadium, which will partially host the Opening Ceremony, is also slated for swimming events later on. Thus, athletics will take center stage at the LA Memorial Coliseum, ensuring adequate preparation time for the swimming competitions scheduled in the second week.

Shana Ferguson, Chief of Sport and Games Delivery for LA28, emphasized the aim of generating excitement from the outset. She referred to the women’s 100 meters as one of the most electrifying and widely viewed events in Olympics history, saying, “We want to start strong,” with high expectations that this event will set an enthusiastic tone for the entire Games.

Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic swimming champion and current Chief Athlete Officer for LA28, supported the shift. She stated that this rearrangement would allow a greater number of swimmers to attend the Opening Ceremony, a typically missed opportunity due to early morning competitions. Evans affirmed that the new schedule would immerse athletes in the Olympic spirit.

Ferguson detailed that this revised timetable resulted from extensive discussions with the International Olympic Committee and various sports organizations. The planning team evaluated factors like athlete welfare, television schedules, and local weather conditions, prioritizing the comfort and safety of athletes and fans alike. For instance, equestrian events were carefully planned with a focus on the well-being of horses under varying environmental conditions.

The women's triathlon, along with several other women’s finals, will also be on the first competition day, marking a historic moment as it will be the first Olympic Games to schedule numerous women’s finals in a single day. This initiative is part of LA28’s broader commitment to gender parity in sports.

A major highlight awaits later in the Games with the “Super Saturday” on Day 15, featuring 26 medal events across 23 sports. The LA28 team anticipates that women will constitute over half of the competing athletes. New additions to the sports program will include flag football and squash, alongside the returns of cricket, lacrosse, and baseball/softball.

LA28 plans to offer approximately 14 million tickets across 51 Olympic sports at 49 venues. Ticket registration is set to begin in January 2026, with public sales following in April. Prices will be fixed without variations based on demand, and measures are being implemented to tackle ticket resale challenges.

Notably, around 77 percent of the Olympic sessions will be held at existing venues to mitigate costs and lessen environmental impacts, with about 23 percent occurring at temporary sites like Long Beach and the Sepulveda Basin. The majority of temporary materials used are slated for reuse or recycling post-Games.

Softball, a returning sport, is scheduled to take place at world-class facilities in Oklahoma City. Evans underscored that this ensures exceptional venues while broadening the Olympic experience throughout the United States.

Lastly, LA28 representatives confirmed ongoing collaborations with local, state, and federal agencies to facilitate visa support and event execution. A specialized visa assistance team has been established to aid athletes, officials, and fans in their travel endeavors before and during the Games.

With these innovative changes, the LA28 Olympics aspires to create a fresh Olympic experience—one beginning with the exhilarating women’s 100 meters final and progressing with a blend of tradition, modernity, and inclusion.