On Friday, World Athletics and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizing committee announced a major change to the competition schedule for the 2028 Olympics. For the first time in Olympic history, athletics will take centre stage during the opening week, switching places with swimming.
The new schedule, which moves swimming events to the second week, aims to create more opportunities for athletics in terms of pre-Games promotion and Games-time viewership.
World Athletics and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee (LA28) have today announced a historic change to the competition calendar, moving athletics to the first week of the Olympic Games.
Full press release ⬇️
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 21, 2024
“We are excited to support this visionary timetable change for LA28,” said Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, in a press release. “This change underscores our commitment to innovation in athletics and elevating the global profile of our athletes. By prioritizing athletics in the first week, the Games will witness the most thrilling of starts, captivating audiences worldwide and setting the stage for an unforgettable Olympic journey.”
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The marathon events will maintain their traditional placement over the final weekend, with medals being presented during the closing ceremony, continuing a legacy that dates back to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The track events at the 2028 Games will be held at the iconic L.A. Memorial Coliseum, which will make history as the first stadium to host events at three Olympic Games (1932 and 1984).
“We believe the positive effects of this change will extend beyond the two sports involved, strengthening the LA28 Games as a whole and ultimately benefiting all sports in the LA28 program,” said Janet Evans, chief athlete officer for LA 2028.
World Athletics and the organizing committee hope the high level of interest and excitement from the opening ceremony will carry into the athletics portion. The L.A. 2028 Games will run from July 14 to 30, 2028, featuring over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 nations competing in 35 sports.
This is the third time Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics; it also hosted in 1984 and 1932.
