LA28 Olympics Schedule Highlights

In a historic move, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will feature the women’s 100m track and field final on the very first day of competition, while the men’s event will take place the following day. This decision marks a significant shift toward emphasizing women’s events.

The LA28 organizing committee unveiled the full schedule on Wednesday, showcasing this notable change aimed at highlighting female athletes. Shana Ferguson, who oversees Sports and Events Broadcasting for LA28, mentioned, “The women’s 100m is one of the most viewed events and we wanted to kick off with a display of the world’s fastest women.”

The opening day, July 15th, will see the women’s 100m include its third round. Generally, female sprinters compete in up to two events daily during the Olympics, so having three events in a single day really pushes the envelope for these athletes.

This emphasis on women’s speedsters coincides with the rising interest in women’s sports in the U.S. Additionally, there’s a growing global conversation about protecting women’s categories from biologically male transgender athletes. Reports have surfaced this week indicating that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering a policy that would bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s events.

In August, former President Donald Trump proposed some form of genetic testing to ensure men do not participate in women’s competitions at the upcoming Olympics.

Dr. Jonathan Finoff, the chief medical officer of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), suggested last month that they are looking into providing SRY genetic testing access to U.S. sports organizations as the Games approach.

Other Notable Aspects of the LA28 Schedule

Flag football will make its Olympic debut in 2028, with both men’s and women’s competitions kicking off on July 15 at Exposition Park Stadium. The men’s gold medal match is set for July 21, followed by the women’s match on July 22.

Baseball and softball will return to the Olympic roster after being absent from the 2024 Paris Games. All baseball events will take place at Dodger Stadium starting July 13, culminating in the gold medal game on July 19. Softball will begin on July 23 at OKC Softball Park, wrapping up with its gold medal game on July 29.

Basketball, which the U.S. has largely dominated over the past three decades, will start on July 12, days ahead of the women’s opening ceremony on July 14 and the men’s on July 15. The women’s gold medal match is scheduled for July 29, while the men’s final will be the next day, July 30, at the Inglewood Dome.

All in all, the LA28 schedule will feature seven competitions prior to the official opening ceremony, which is quite atypical. A highlight known as “Super Saturday” on July 29 will showcase 26 finals across 23 different sports.