Disappointment naturally greeted the announcement on 23 April that the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championships had been cancelled but the Charlety Stadium has hosted many great athletics meetings in the past and will no doubt do so again.
The first could be this year’s Wanda Diamond League meeting in the French capital. which has been moved to 6 September. With the coronavirus pandemic in Europe abating to a degree, it is possible that athletes so far starved of competition will be raring to go.
Feats in Paris later in the summer could be reminiscent of last August when the American sprinter Noah Lyles flew to a 200m time of 19.50 and, providing the highlight of the meeting from a European perspective, Karsten Warholm won the 400m hurdles in typically courageous style and crossed the line in 47.26, just 0.14 outside what was then the European record he had set in London the previous month.
Warholm’s Paris performance was just part of his undefeated season which culminated in him reducing the European record further to 46.92, the second fastest time ever, and win the world title in Doha. Almost unanimously, he chosen at the 2019 male European Athlete of the Year last October.
One of the reasons for optimism is that there will be phoenix-like element to the Charlety Stadium’s roster of top athletics events is the Mondo Sportflex Super X 720 track, whose installation was finished in August 2019 by European Athletics Green Inspiration Partner Mondo, and the fact that it will be there for years to come.
“Typically, a good quality track which is well maintained and in conventional weather conditions will last for 10 to 15 years before any replacement might be necessary,” confirmed Andrea Marenghi, Mondo’s Technical Director of Research and Development, speaking to European Athletics.
It is fair to say that Mondo surfaces are top quality but they are also produced to the highest sustainable and environmental standards, and the last five World Athletics Championships have taken place in stadia with Mondo surfaces as well as a myriad of continental championships which come under the aegis of European Athletics.
Mondo’s manufacturing plant in Gallo d’Alba is certified as meeting the requirements of International Standards ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:201; which respectively relate to a company being able to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and an organisation’s environmental management system that it uses to enhance its environmental performance and manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner.
The manufacturing facilities are equipped with a 4.6 MWp photovoltaic system which prevents the release into the atmosphere of around 2000 tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per year.
Mondo also carefully select their raw materials so that their track surfacing products contain approximately 38% of contaminant-free recycled materials and approximately 10% of rapidly renewable materials.
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All of Mondo’s products are heavy-metal free and guarantee emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in compliance with the most stringent air quality standards, contributing to clean air in and around stadia where they have installed tracks and fighting against air pollution, which has an obvious detrimental impact on athletes' health and performance. Mondo products are classified as non-hazardous waste with EWC Code 170203.
In 2021, a series of European Athletics major competitions will take place in stadia with Mondo tracks, starting with the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships with the Hala Sportowo-Widowiskowa equipped with a Mondo Sportflex Super X track.