Interesting Athletics Stories (8) – Daegu Stadium’s Blue Track

Track and field sports, better known as Athletics, are one of the largest sports participated in across the world. In August, 24 of these track and field events will be competed in Daegu during the IAAF World Championships. With nearly half of the events for the World Championships taking place on the track, the Daegu 2011 LOC is proud to announce the stadium’s newly renovated track. 

Studies throughout the years have continued to show that the athletes competing in the Track Events are heavily affected by the surface on which they are running. It was during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games that the elastic Urethane track was used and produced an astounding nine new world records. From this event on, this was the standard track used.

In December 2010 the renovation of the Daegu Stadium brand new track surface was completed, changing the surface materials and the color. The track has been changed from the brick red urethane track to a new, blue Mondo track. By changing the color of track from red to blue, it will help athletes to maintain concentration while competing and is believed to ease viewership of the spectators and TV viewers by reducing eyestrain.