It promises to surprise fans of the king of Olympic sports, according to the Italian company Mondo. Mondo is finalising its preparations in a corner of Italy called Alba, where this leading company in the sector has its headquarters. The details of a track that will be installed at the Stade de France in Paris next month are being finalised in a small town in the Piedmont region of Italy. 

There, in Alba, Mondo, a family-owned company that has become a world reference in this type of sports surface and equipment, especially in athletics, is preparing something unprecedented and destined to be remembered for its originality and difference.

Maurizio Stroppiana, vice-president of Mondo's sports division and son of one of the company's founders, told AFP: "Our Olympic history began in 1976 in Montreal (...) Paris will be our 33rd Olympic Games." The Mondrotrack EB, the group's latest creation, is what is currently under construction and will be the site of the athletes' attempt to make history.

From 1 to 11 August, it will host 46 of the 48 athletics events of the 2024 Olympic Games. The marathons will be held entirely road-based. They will take place on a circuit between Paris and Versailles. The colour will not be the usual ochre. Nor will it be the terracotta traditionally used in athletics. Violet is something that has never been seen before in Olympic history. 

"The Paris violet will only be used for these Games," says Andrea Marenghi, head of research and development. His teams have studied dozens of samples to find "the right colours." 

There will be two violets. One for the competition areas (track and field, jumps, throws) and the other for the technical areas, which will be complemented by a shade of grey reminiscent of the 1924 Paris Olympics. "The two shades of purple allow for great contrasts in the TV shots to highlight the athletes. We want the athletes to be in the foreground." Marenghi, a former decathlete, adds.

The Paris track will cover an area of 21,000m2, including the training stadium and warm-up area. It is made up of synthetic and natural rubber, mineral components, pigments and additives with up to 50% of its components are made from recycled or renewable materials. "For London 2012, it was 30%," explains the group's sustainability and innovation manager. The costs are confidential.

"For the Tokyo Games track, we have modified the design of the cells of the lower layer of the track, which will reduce the athlete's energy loss and allow it to be recovered at the best moment of movement," assures Maurizio Stroppiana.

In short, the track being prepared in Alba for the Stade de France could be even "faster" than the one in Tokyo, where three athletics world records will be broken in 2021. Mondo's poster boasts: "More than 300 world records have been set on its tracks.""We can't do what we want. There are very strict criteria set by World Athletics. The most important thing is to preserve the health of the athletes and not to distort their work," warns Andrea Marenghi. 

"In any case, the track doesn't give the athlete anything he can't do," he adds. Bringing this innovation to light is the aim of the World Athletics and the various television networks that hold the broadcasting rights for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.