In Scotland, one of the biggest sporting events in the world took place. Among the stars of the show, even the Mondotrack, the installation of which was as spectacular as the races.
From July 23 to August 3, 2014, the Scottish city of Glasgow hosted the twentieth edition of the Commonwealth Games, the third largest multi-sports event in the world after the Olympics and the Asian Games. The biggest sporting event for the number of participants that Scotland has ever hosted. The best athletes from countries belonging to the Commonwealth have been involved in exciting races, many of which took place in Hampden Park, the Temple of the Scottish football that, for the occasion, has been transformed into a modern athletics stadium. A project that directly involved Mondo as the official supplier of the athletic track and equipment.
The transformation from Hampden Park football stadium in a plant cutting edge for athletics, began with the realization of a temporary platform made of 1000 panels supported by more than 6000 steel poles, able to raise the surface central arena of nearly two meters. In this way we were able to earn the length and width necessary to accommodate the athletics track, which was installed section by section, 250 square meters at a time. Were removed about eight rows of seats to bring the track to the public and make it feel part way down the performance of the athletes in the race. On the platform, in addition to the ring of the track has been installed on the infield, with lots of grass.
A solution never seen before on this scale, then renamed Glasgow Solution, in which Mondo has been involved from the earliest stages of design. The Project Manager Mondosport UK, Joe Hoekstra, worked it immediately very closely with WH Malcolm, the main contractor who performed the work.
The technical team of Mondo had access to the stadium March 25, 2014 and completed its work in mid-May. In total installed about 14,000 square meters of track, on which were held 48 events over the course of seven days. Additional 6000 square meters have been installed instead at Lesser Hampden, the main heating area for the athletes before the race.
"The team of installers was composed of seven persons, three of whom were skilled technicians. We have provided an additional 1000 square meters of surface area to track free-standing training and to facilitate the movement of athletes, "recalls Joe Hoekstra. Mondo has also provided all the sports facilities for athletics and technical support during the event. "We had a fantastic team in place during the Games to ensure that all the equipment would work best," says Hoekstra.
The biggest problem that the organizers and the Mondo technical team faced during the installation were the conditions typical of Scottish weather.
"There have been frequent rain and cold temperatures. Keep dry asphalt has been a challenge. To deal with it, has been made a security tunnel folding length of 60 m, which worked like a caterpillar moving around the track: as soon as a section was completed, the back of the tunnel was dismantled to reassemble it before, "recalls Joe Hoekstra. This operation was repeated twice, first to dry the track and lay the screed, then to dry the screed and lay the material. "This particular procedure was adopted to make it easier to remove the surface at the end of the event, when Hampden Park has once again become the biggest football stadium in Scotland and the track was dismantled to be re-installed in two athletics clubs in Scotland" says Joe Hoekstra.
The rain was not missing even during the games, especially on the last day of racing. "The last night of the Games, it was pouring. Despite this, several records were broken in the Commonwealth, including those of the men 4x100m relay and 4x400m women. The Mondotrack was able to prove once again be performing in all weather conditions, "said Joe Hoekstra.
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Another interesting aspect of the installation of the track is the fact that the operation was carried out on a platform about two meters tall.
"Working on an elevated surface of 1.9 m on a total thickness of only 400 mm did not affect in any way the installation. You can not notice any difference from a track mounted directly on the ground, "said Joe Hoekstra. ***
For the Commonwealth Games, Mondo provided a Mondotrack 13.5 mm. "This is our flagship product for athletic tracks for high-level competitions. The organizers love it because it is strong enough to support the 'punishment' of the opening ceremonies and other related events. The athletes love it because it is very reactive and they know they will compete to the best of their abilities. The public and the media love it because it always offers exciting races. In fact, this year alone, we have witnessed four world records beaten on Mondotrack, and the Commonwealth Games have posted a slew of national records and games, "recalls Joe Hoekstra. All thanks to its special formula of vulcanized rubber by Mondo. The track has met the expectations of all. The organizing committee was delighted with the track, especially the expertise of Mondo with big events like this and the Olympics.
And the positive feedback also came from the athletes: "We have had some very positive comments from members of the British track team, which went very well indeed. They finished second, behind the Jamaicans in many competitions of speed, "said Joe Hoekstra.
As expected, stars of speed events were Jamaican athletes. The jamaican sprinters has led to the success of the 4x100 relay with the best time of 37 "58, a new record of the Games. Gold medal and a record of the event for the relay Jamaican female, led by Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, has raced in 41 "83. Two gold medals that have been added to the other conquered by Jamaican sprinters in Glasgow: Stephanie McPherson won the women's 400m running in 50 "67; Andrew Riley won the gold medal in the finals of the 110 hurdles with a time of 13 "32; Kaliese Spencer won the final of the 400m hurdles running in 54 "10; Rasheed Dwyer won gold in the 200 meters with a time of 20 "14; the 22 year old Kemar Bailey-Cole won gold in the 100 meters in 10 "net. Excellent performance by the Jamaican women's 4x400 relay team, which with a time of 3'23 "82 won gold and set a new record at the Commonwealth Games.
In the other speed events, the protagonist Nigerian Blessing Okagbare, who won the gold in both the 100 m (10 "85), creating a new record of the Games in 200 m (22" 25). To underline the performance of the South African Cornel Fredericks, gold in the 400m hurdles (48 "50), and the success of the British 4x400 relay team, which dragged the 19-year old Matthew Hudson Smith raced in 3'00" 46.
In the long-distance events, Kenya great star thanks to the success in the finals of the 1500 m: the 20 year-old Faith Kipygeon won the gold running in 4'08 "94; James Magut won with a time of 3'39 "31. The surprise came from the final of the 800 m, where the favorite of the day before David Rudisha has crossed the line ahead of Nijel Amos of Botswana won the athlete running in 1'45 "18.
In the distance races, that before the Games showed the lump sum of Olympic champion Mo Farah has once again witnessed Kenyan athletes place themselves on the top step of the podium, Caleb Ndiku won the gold medal in the 5000 m running in 13'12 "07; Joyce Chepkirui won the final of the women's 10,000m in 32'09 "35; Mercy Cherono won gold in the women's 5000m with a time of 15'07 "21. Only Moses Kipsiro managed to keep up with the Kenyan athletes winning gold in the 10,000m: the athlete Uganda finished with a time of 27'56 "11.
After ten days of competition, saw the medal stand in the first position of England with 56 gold medals, followed by Australia with 45 gold medals and 31 gold medals for Canada; Scotland fourth with 19 gold medals.