CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Jan. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When 7,000 of the greatest athletes from the Caribbean, Central America, North America and South America descend upon Toronto for the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games this summer, they'll have at least one of the same advantages that Olympians and Paralympians enjoyed in 2008 and 2012: competing on Mondo's Mondotrack.
Mondo, the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets, has signed an agreement to supply the competition and warm-up tracks for the 2015 Pan Am Games July 10-26. The same surfaces will be used for the Parapan Am Games Aug. 7-15.
The competition track to be installed in the York University Athletics Stadium will meet the precise quality and performance requirements by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to receive Class 1 certification, while the warm-up track to be installed in the Toronto Track and Field Center will meet the requirements to be IAAF Class 2 certified. Installation of both eight-lane, 400-meter outdoor tracks is slated to begin in April and be completed approximately the end of May.
"One reason Mondo was awarded this contract was because we were the only track manufacturer that could meet the specifications required for IAAF certification and the installation deadline," said Michael Tovar, director, track & field, North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) for Mondo.
This will be the eighth time that these Games will be held on surfaces by Mondo. The company's tracks also have served as the competition surfaces of the Olympic Games from 1992 to 2012, the IAAF World Relays in 2014, 13 IAAF World Indoor Championships, nine IAAF Outdoor Championships, and numerous other prestigious international and national competitions.
"Mondo's tracks are used at so many high-profile national and international meets because we are committed to developing tracks that are ideal for both training and high-performance competition and that let athletes achieve their best times, which is why more than 250 world records have been set on Mondo tracks," said Tovar.
About Mondotrack
Mondotrack builds on the success of the company's Super X Performance track, the world's top track for more than 30 years. Designed for superior athletic performance, Mondotrack provides optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It converts the maximum amount of force generated by athletes' foot strikes to energy for maximum energy return, which helps athletes achieve faster times compared to running on other surfaces. At the 2012 London Olympic Games, three world records, four Olympic records, 64 national records, and numerous personal and season bests were set on Mondotrack.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets, manufacturing flooring surfaces for virtually every application. More than 1,100 Mondo tracks and millions of square feet of the company's high-performance athletic surfaces are installed worldwide.
An official supplier of athletic tracks for the past 10 Olympic Games, Mondo also is the official supplier or sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, the company sells its products in more than 196 countries through Mondo-owned manufacturing companies in Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and China. For news updates and the latest on Mondo products, events and flooring installations, visit mondoworldwide.com and like Mondo America's Facebook page.
Mondo is a registered trademark of Mondo.