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If further records fall in track, it may be about the surface as well as the athletes
Historically, track and field athletes tend to set fewer world records than swimmers, and the numbers of records set in track and field have actually taken a significant downturn in the last decade. We've already seen one world record set in London, though, with Britain's Jessica Ennis recording a blazing-fast 12.54 hurdles heptathlon time Friday (one that would have been fast enough to tie for gold in the straight 100-metre hurdles in Beijing and win gold in that event in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney), and it's quite possible there could be more track records on the way. If those happens, they'll certainly involve incredible athletic performances, but there's another factor at play, too; the design of the track.
[Photos: A Closer look at Olympic heptathlon]
Technology has played a key role in the setting of world records, from the swimsuits used in Beijing (later judged to provide too much of an advantage, but that hasn't stopped records from being smashed in London) to the improvements in shoes over the years. In London, though, it might be the surface itself that provides the biggest advantage. The high-technology track (which cost a million pounds, or $1.56 million Canadian) has gone even beyond Beijing's, which maximized the rebound off forwards and backwards motion. The London track maintains that (and is supplied by the same company), but has also added technology to return energy to athletes from side-to-side motion. Here's what project manager Joe Hoekstra told The Guardian's Robert Booth about the new track:
oe Hoekstra, project manager for supplier Mondo, which also laid the track in Beijing, said a special underlay is patterned with rhombus-shaped ridges to increase the track's reaction to lateral movement and is in use for the first time in London.
"Since Beijing we realised we needed to make the material more reactive sideways, as well as forwards and backwards," he said. "We saw that sometimes the little toe touches first and there is a roll over. We have previously provided shock absorption and reaction in the straight line and we have been working on a material that is omnidirectional."
The top of the track has also been made softer than in Beijing to increase its ability to drive energy back into the athletes' feet. "It trashes the notion that hard is fast," he said.
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The stadium was also designed to optimize track speeds, which included wind-tunnel testing of specific roof designs and the eventual selection of a partial roof that should keep wind down on the track. So far, the technology seems to have made a difference; in addition to Ennis' record, 15 athletes set personal bests Friday. It would be hard to figure out precisely just how much of a stunning track performance came from the athlete and how much came from the conditions, but London's track seems particularly designed to give the athletes all the help they can get. If further records start to fall, that should be kept in mind.
More London Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Canada Sports:
• Photos: Full moon makes sixth Olympic ring
• Video: Can Canada return to track glory?
• Photos: Swimming world records set in London
• Rosie MacLennan claims Canada's first gold medal at London Games
