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Alyssa Roenigk
For the first time in Olympic history, the world’s fastest woman will be crowned on the first official day of competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The women’s 100 meters final on July 15, 2028 will conclude the day of competition, beginning with the first gold medal of the Games to be awarded at Venice Beach in the women’s triathlon, which last competed at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000. The first day will also include the most women’s finals ever held on a single day at the Olympics.
“The women’s 100 meters will be one of the most-watched events and we wanted to kick off with a performance from the fastest women in the world,” LA28’s head of sport and Games delivery, Shana Ferguson, said on a media call.
la 2028 schedule The event will culminate with a jam-packed weekend on July 29 that organizers are referring to as “Super Saturday.” The final day of the competition will feature 26 finals in 23 sports, including 15 gold and bronze medal matches in team sports and 15 finals in individual sports.
To hold the 100 meters final on the opening day of competition, women will have to race each round on a single day instead of two, as is the case at the Olympics.
“We spoke at length with our athlete commission and it was a largely positive conversation,” said LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming. “There are some compromises, but to have a major event on the first night of competition inside the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is incredible.”
Since 1972, athletics events have dominated the second week of the Games, while swimming has traditionally dominated the first week. The last time athletics appeared on the Olympic program before swimming was in Mexico City in 1968. But because the SoFi Stadium – renamed the 2028 Stadium – will host the opening ceremony and all swimming competitions during the Olympics, organizers will need time to convert the stadium into a swimming venue.
Evans said the swap schedules of athletics and swimming would create opportunities for athletes in both sports. He said the athletes he spoke to were okay with the changes but wanted enough time to adjust to their training.
“Not swimming the first week is a big change as far as I know,” Evans said. “But having the opportunity to watch my favorite sport in front of 38,000 fans at the 2028 Stadium is incredible. The change in schedule also gives swimmers the opportunity to attend the Opening Ceremony and have a different Olympic experience.”
In Los Angeles, more than 50% of all athletes will be women for the first time in Olympic history. Nearly 11,200 athletes will compete in 51 sports at the Los Angeles Games, more than any previous Olympics.
