A look at the track in the Olympic stadium...

Long gone are the days of the cinder track with athletes hammering their starting blocks into the surface. The modern track now is made of synthetic materials which are designed to aid the performance of the athletes. For the Olympic stadium in London, the Italian designed Mondo track separates the traction and shock absorbing properties of a running track into two layers. The track's upper surface is slip-resistant which means that the spikes don't need to pierce its surface to get a grip, boosting the athlete's performance by cutting the penetration/retraction time. The lower layer is made up of elongated diamond shape cells, resembling a honeycomb, which flex in every direction and provide more cushioning, optimum energy return and shorter reaction times.

As with all tracks, the surface is a compromise in that it must be hard enough to suit the sprinters but not so hard as to injure the long distance runners.

More information about the Olympic track can be found on the BBC website HERE