(NEXSTAR) – In an Olympic first, track and field athletes are competing on a purple track at the Stade de France. It’s a move away from the more traditional red-brick clay color that fans are used to seeing.
There were a few reasons behind the change, according to Olympics.com. First, organizers simply wanted to make history with a new bold color choice.
“This will allow the images of the Paris 2024 Games to be engraved in the memories of spectators, television viewers and athletes alike,” the organizers said.
The track is actually comprised of two shades of purple, too: The competition area and track itself features a lighter shade of purple, while the technical areas are a darker shade.
Alain Blondel, the Athletics and Para Athletics Manager for Paris 2024, told Olympics.com in April that the new shade will also make for better television coverage.
“We had to work hard on the colors, so that the shades would work best to highlight athletes. It’s a track, it has to be pretty, but above all it’s a stage on which athletes are going to perform. What’s very important is that the colors and athletes stand out,” she said.
Team USA’s Grant Holloway, who is set to compete in the 110-meter hurdles, told Nexstar he thinks the track is “pretty dope,” adding he is excited to compete on it for the first time.
The company responsible for the track, Mondo, has provided the track at every Summer Games since Montreal in 1976. The pieces of vulcanized rubber were produced at a factory in northern Italy.
Experts say you can expect to see more records at Stade de France. That’s because Mondo used granules that are more elastic and cohesive, which are expected to improve athletes’ performance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
