Following an exciting few weeks, the Paris Olympics have come to an end with a beautiful closing ceremony and handover ceremony on Sunday.
Many spectators at home wondered why the first lane was not constantly in use as the game progressed and reached the tracks.
Though it makes sense that most races feature eight competitors competing against one another, most casual sports fans may think that a running track only has eight lanes.
However, in Paris, there were nine lanes and lanes two through nine are frequently used.
A couple of variables led to the decision not to use lane one, one of which was that longer-distance races tend to wear down the first lane more than other sections of the track.
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The second theory puts out that lane one’s curve is steeper than those in the other lanes, which would make it more difficult for an athlete to run quickly.
During that time, Alain Blondel, head of athletics at the Paris Olympics, revealed why there would be nine lanes overall instead of eight.
He said: “In case of a tie, if there are disqualification issues between the semi-finals and the final in races like the 400 meters or 800 meters, this (ninth) lane will allow us to reclassify an athlete without resorting to a draw, which is really difficult for athletes.”
The color of the track is another feature that has drawn in viewers.
The Paris track is purple instead of the customary red for running tracks. Producers of the running track, Mondo, an Italian company, stated:
“This will allow the images of the Paris 2024 Games to be engraved in the memories of spectators, television viewers, and athletes alike.”
Blondel touched on the track, saying: “We had to put a lot of effort on the colors so that the tints would best accentuate the athletes. Above all, it’s a stage where the athletes will compete; it’s a track, thus it needs to be attractive. Making sure the athletes and colors stand out is crucial.”
