Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics competition schedule was unveiled on Wednesday by organizers, including a showcase spot for the women’s 100 meters and a Super Saturday session. LA28 revealed a detailed schedule earlier than usual. It starts with the opening ceremony on July 14 and ends with the closing ceremony on July 30. The biggest-ever Games will feature 11,200 athletes in 51 sports across 49 venues. Every team sport will feature an equal or greater number of women’s teams compared to men’s teams for the first time, with 50.5 percent of total athletes being women.
On day one, July 15, the most women’s finals ever held on one day will be contested, starting with women’s triathlon and a spotlight on the women’s 100 meters. “We want to come out in these Games with a bang. We want to start day one with a showcase of the fastest females in the world,” LA28 chief of sport Shana Ferguson said. Doing so will mean women must run three 100m heats in one day. “We did speak at length with athletes. It was a largely positive conversation,” Janet Evans, LA28 chief athlete officer, said. “We’re kicking off the athletic competition with one of the marquee events for women athletes. When we presented it to the athletes that way, there was excitement. They said let me know early and I’ll train to run three 100s in one day.”
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Athletics will, for the first time in history, span the entire Games, with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe describing the schedule as “both innovative but also honors tradition.” World and Olympic medallist Sha’Carri Richardson remarked: “Track and field is having its moment, and the road to LA28 is about to be something special, especially for the women’s sprints.” The American, who won women’s 4×100 relay gold and silver in the 100m in Paris last year, added: “The talent, energy, and competition – it’s all going to shine. Just look at day one of the LA Games.”
Organizers flipped swimming and athletics from the traditional schedule so the opening ceremony venue, SoFi Stadium, could also host swimming in the second week. Track and field events will be held in the first week of the Games, with swimming in the second week.
“You move to the second week. You have 38,000 people in the stands,” Evans said. “Having 38,000 fans watch my favorite sport is exciting as well.” Swimmers also have a better chance to attend the opening ceremony without next-morning races to consider. A “Super Saturday” schedule on July 29 includes 26 finals sessions in 23 sports, including 15 gold and bronze medal team matches and finals in 15 individual sports. Among Olympic champions to be crowned on that day are those in athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, golf, football, swimming, and tennis. The last Olympic champions will be crowned in swimming just before the closing ceremony.
Organizers scheduled the marathons for the final weekend, with the women’s race on July 29 and the men’s marathon on July 30.
About 14 million tickets will be available for Olympic events, with pricing details to be announced later, but dynamic pricing is not being considered, Ferguson said. Olympic and sport federation officials have helped create the LA28 schedule. “We don’t do any of this schedule without them,” Ferguson said. Weather considerations went into the plan, with some sessions moved into the evening for cooler conditions, including for horses at Santa Anita for equestrian events.
Baseball and softball will return to the Olympic lineup. Baseball will be played at Dodger Stadium, home of the reigning Major League Baseball champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with medal games on July 19. Baseball will begin on July 13, a day ahead of the opening ceremony, with a new competition window to allow MLB players to compete in the Olympics. Cricket rejoins the Olympic lineup after more than a century with the women’s final on July 20 and the men’s final on July 29. Lacrosse, on the 1908 London Olympic calendar and later a demonstration sport, will return with the men’s and women’s finals on July 29. Los Angeles will also introduce American flag football and squash on July 15 for Olympic debuts. Details for the Olympic football tournament, to be staged across the United States, and the Los Angeles Paralympics will be announced later. Ticket registration for the LA Olympics will begin in January.
© 2024 AFP
