Purple reign: why Paris Olympics track could be the fastest in history
The Stade de France track has a new colour and, organisers hope, could provide the platform for a host of new records
It looks a little different. Feels a little different too. For centuries, purple has been associated with royalty. Now, for the first time in Olympic history, it will be the colour of the track. And in Paris they believe a new speed king has arrived in town.
One of the few athletes to step on the track so far is Alain Blondel, the head of athletics at Paris 2024 and a former European decathlon champion. “It’s even nicer than we expected,” he tells the Guardian. “The general feedback is: ‘Wow.’ That it looks great. That it is spectacular.”