The organisers of Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has announced a significant change in the schedule, swapping athletics with swimming: now, swimming will take place in the second week and track and field events will happen in the first week. While that change was known already, today we learned that women's 100 metres will take centre stage, and all events, from preliminary races to the final, will take place in the first day of the games, Saturday 15 July 2028.
Shana Ferguson, LA28 Chief of Sport and Games, said that "we want to open with a bang", and that the women's 100m "one of the most-watched races of the Games."
The change will also allow more swimmers to join the Opening Ceremony, as many usually skipped it with the competition starting the following morning. "There's a component of the Olympic experience we want athletes to have at our Games", said Janet Evans, former Olympic champion and LA28's chief athlete officer.
There are still three years remaining, so a lot can happen: will the Paris 2024 100m champion Julien Alfred, the silver medallist Sha'Carri Richardson, or the current world title holder Melissa Jefferson-Wooden be on the track in Los Angeles?