Tokyo (Associated Press)-This Jamaican sprinter and her Olympic time record caught everyone's attention. However, when Elaine Thompson-Herah broke the 33-year-old women's 100m Olympic record, the condition of the feet may be a factor.

It is becoming the fast track of the Olympic Stadium. Runners are certainly expected to set personal, Olympic and even world records at the Tokyo Olympics next week.

This brick-red track is made by Mondo, a company founded in 1948 and has been a supplier for the 12th Olympic Games. According to the company, this special surface has "specially designed three-dimensional rubber particles, using a selected polymer system, integrated in the top layer of MONDOTRACK WS, and added to the semi-vulcanized compound. The vulcanization process ensures the particles and surrounding materials The molecular bonds between them form a dense layer."

"It feels like I am walking in the clouds," the American 100-meter sprinter Ronnie Baker explained superficially. "It's really going well there. It's a beautiful track. One of the best I've ever run."

Is it really that fast?

maybe. Sometimes, only a runner in a top figure can make it look fast. Only time will tell. This track has also been baked in the Tokyo sun and is almost unused, making it more sturdy.

"Oh, it's fast," said Clayton Murphy, an American 800-meter runner. "May need to break the world record to win."

When was the track installed?

From August 2019 to November 2019, this track lasted for more than four months. Since the pavement was laid, it has not seen much movement. The athletes are breaking it in fashion.

"You just feel it, man, you just feel it," said Akani Simbine, a South African sprinter. "You know what the fast lane feels like. For us, this track feels very fast, and I look forward to running fast on this track."

Mondo stated on its website that the main goal is to "maximize the speed of the athletes and improve their performance." The top layer is vulcanized rubber, which helps increase elasticity. There is also an "air-filled cavity" in the lower layer, which helps "shock absorption, energy storage and instant dynamic response."

More importantly: it can help racers to speed on the track.

"Some tracks will absorb your movement and strength," said Sydney McLaughlin, an American 400-meter hurdler and world record holder. "This regenerates it and returns it to you. You can definitely feel it."

So which world records might fall?

Pay close attention to the men's and women's 400 columns. McLaughlin set a record (51.90 seconds) in the US Olympic trials on June 27, breaking the record of teammate Dalilah Muhammad (Dalilah Muhammad). They will be the favorites to win the gold medal on Wednesday-and may break the record again.

Karsten Warholm of Norway recently broke the men's 400 hurdles with a score of 46.70. He broke the record held since 1992. Can he break it again?

"Maybe others will do this," Warholm said. "I have finished my work."

Must be shoes?

Another factor in these records may be technological advancements at the peak. A few years ago, Nike's Vaporfly shoes shook the world of long-distance running, and carbon plating technology helped runners to shorten the time. This technique is entering the peak period of sprinters.

After Thompson-Herah ran 10.61 seconds to break the Olympic record of the late Florence Griffith Joyner, he also had a theory about fast time. "My training," she said. "Whether it's the track or the shoes."

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