In a groundbreaking shift for Olympic athletics, female 100-meter sprinters will face an unprecedented challenge at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, running all three rounds of their premier event in a single day. This dramatic schedule change, announced by organizers, marks the first time sprinters will compete in heats, semifinals, and finals within hours at a major championship.
Historic Schedule Overhaul for LA Olympics
The seismic change will unfold on July 15, 2028, when track and field takes the spotlight on the opening day of competition at the historic LA Coliseum. Traditionally, swimming has kicked off the Summer Games, but with the opening ceremony scheduled at SoFi Stadium - the same venue hosting swimming events - organizers made the strategic swap. The rapid transition from ceremony to pool setup proved unfeasible, paving the way for athletics to lead the Olympic program.
Janet Evans, the four-time gold medal swimmer serving as chief athlete officer for LA 2028, revealed that athletes responded positively to the challenge. "To be the pre-eminent event on the first night of competition in the historic LA Memorial Coliseum, I think when we presented it to the athletes that way, there was excitement," Evans stated. "A majority of athletes said to me, 'Just let me know. Let me know early, and I'll start training to run three 100s in one day.'"
Elite Athletes Prepare for Grueling Challenge
The women's field expected to tackle this demanding schedule could feature some of track's biggest stars, including Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the last two world champions, along with reigning Olympic champion Julien Alfred. The Saint Lucian sprinter famously defeated both American rivals in the 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Notably, male sprinters will not face similar scheduling pressures, maintaining the traditional format of spreading their races across multiple days. This discrepancy gives women's competitors nearly three years to adapt their training and recovery strategies for the unique physical demands of three high-intensity sprints within hours.
Impact on Potential Doubles and Historical Context
The newly released schedule also appears to dash hopes for American superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone attempting a historic 400m and 400m hurdles double. The world record holder and two-time defending hurdles champion had experimented with the flat 400m this season, running an impressive 47.78 seconds at the world championships.
However, with the 400m hurdles semifinals and 400m final both scheduled for July 20, the double attempt becomes virtually impossible. This represents a departure from past Olympic practices where organizers sometimes tailored schedules to accommodate marquee athletes, most notably when Michael Johnson completed the 200m-400m double at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Shana Ferguson, Chief of Sport and Games Delivery, emphasized that LA organizers worked closely with World Athletics in developing the contest schedule. "I can't speak directly to any particular athlete's schedule or how he or she is approaching the Games but we are arm and arm in the development of a contest schedule," Ferguson noted.
The swimming community, meanwhile, embraces competing at the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium before 38,000 spectators. Evans highlighted another benefit for swimmers, who traditionally miss opening ceremonies due to next-day competitions. "I could probably name on my two hands the swimmers I know who have actually been to opening ceremonies," she remarked, suggesting more swimmers might participate in the 2028 opener.
