With the LA Olympics now just over two and a half years away, excitement is already building as the Summer Games return to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games. In a notable change from the traditional schedule announced in June 2024, the latest update indicates that athletics events will take place from July 15 to 24, while swimming is scheduled from July 22 to 30.
However, with the recent release of the detailed daily competition schedule, many fans are not satisfied with how some events have been arranged, expressing their frustration on social media. Among them is the women’s 100m sprint, whose schedule has not been well-received by fans.
How Did Fans React to Women’s 100m Schedule at LA Olympics 2028?
The women’s 100m preliminaries and first round are scheduled for the morning session, while the semifinals and final will take place in the evening session, all on the same day, which is an arrangement that usually spans two days.
With athletes like Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Julien Alfred, and Sha’Carri Richardson among the top contenders, fans voiced frustration over the scheduling of all the 100m rounds on the same day, arguing that it could physically strain competitors who usually require recovery time between races.
One fan argued that the women’s 100m schedule made little sense, calling it a poorly planned format for a competition as prestigious as the Olympics or World Championships. They said, “This is absolutely diabolical and illogical. This sort of format shouldn’t be anywhere near at World or Olympic level competition. This is almost as brutal as a 4 round format years ago.”
Another fan questioned the decision, criticizing the organizers for holding the men’s 100m over two days while requiring the female athletes to run all rounds in one. “Why don’t the menfolk get to share in this wonderful honor?” they added.
One of the fans joined to share how they believe the schedule will ruin the excitement and quality of the competition. They added, “The women’s 100m is one of the most anticipated events. Having 3 races in 1 day for the same event is a recipe for an anticlimactic finale”.
Another fan said the current Olympic schedule resembles what high school sprinters often face, with many events being poorly organized. “Taking all the sprinters back to their high school days”, they mentioned.
Another fan expressed disbelief at the schedule, feeling there was little to no athlete involvement in the decision-making process. They asked, “Serious question: DO THEY EVER CONSULT THE ATHLETES before making changes??”.
LA Olympic Games Adds Five New Sports Including Cricket, Squash, and Flag Football
The 2028 Olympics will feature five new sports in their program, including baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, cricket, and squash, as revealed in April of this year. While the United States has historically been dominant in baseball, flag football, and lacrosse, cricket and squash will present a more formidable challenge, with intense international competition expected.
Top cricket nations, such as India, Australia, England, and South Africa, will be contenders in both the men’s and women’s competitions. At the same time, squash could see impressive performances from countries like Egypt and Great Britain.
It is worth noting that, apart from squash, all the other sports will be played as team events for both men and women. While squash will feature 16 men and 16 women competing individually.