Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics announced Wednesday that the women’s 100-meter final will headline the Games’ opening day – part of a revamped schedule that shifts athletics to Week 1 and gives swimmers a rare chance to take part in the opening ceremony.
LA28 officials said the change is driven by venue logistics involving SoFi Stadium, which will host portions of the opening ceremony as well as swimming events.
Athletics will now open the Olympic program at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, allowing sufficient time to convert SoFi for aquatics in the second week.
“We want to open with a bang,” said Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and games delivery, calling the women’s 100-meter final “one of the most-watched races of the Games.”
Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic swimming champion and LA28’s chief athlete officer, welcomed the move, noting that holding swimming later could finally let athletes march in the opening ceremony – an experience many have missed because competition typically starts the next morning.
“There’s a component of the Olympic experience we want athletes to have at our Games,” said Evans.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the plan – which will see the women run every round of the 100 meters on the same day – was “overwhelmingly” supported by athletes and coaches.
“Their view was, why would you not want to be starting with that kind of flair off the back of the first day?” Coe told reporters Wednesday. “Personally, I think it’s an innovative thing to do.”
Ferguson said the schedule was developed over months with the International Olympic Committee and international federations, factoring in athlete welfare, television windows and local conditions such as heat, tides and sun angles for outdoor events.
“Weather considerations were made not only for athletes but also for fans,” she said, adding that the welfare of horses competing in equestrian events was also taken into account.
Day 1 will also award the first LA28 medals in the women’s triathlon and feature the most women’s finals ever in a single day, organizers said.
A “Super Saturday” on Day 15 is slated to include 26 medal sessions across 23 sports. LA28 expects women to comprise more than half of athlete quotas and highlighted new sports including flag football and squash, along with the return of cricket, lacrosse and baseball/softball.
Ferguson said LA28 plans to sell about 14 million tickets across 51 Olympic sports at 49 venues, with public sales beginning in April 2026 following registration in January.
For the initial sale, pricing will be fixed and will not use dynamic pricing, she said, adding that organizers will announce measures to address secondary market concerns closer to the on-sale date.
Organizers said 77% of sessions will be staged in existing venues, with 23% in temporary sites such as the Sepulveda Basin and Long Beach. More than 90% of temporary materials will be reused or repurposed.
Softball will be held at Oklahoma City’s existing facilities – a move Evans said offers “world-class conditions” and broadens the Games’ reach within the United States.
LA28 officials added that they are coordinating with local, state and federal authorities on visas and event delivery, with a dedicated visa assistance team to support pre-Games and Games-time travel.
