NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nine hundred Big East track and field athletes will converge to determine the conference's best at the New Balance Track & Field Center at New York's 168th Street Armory Youth Center this weekend for the 2012 Big East Indoor Track & Field Championships. Athletes will compete in 20 men's events and 19 women's events during the Feb. 18-19 competition, which will take place on a Mondo Super X Performance track, the world's top track for more than 30 years.
Manufactured by Mondo, the global leader in the sport flooring market, the renowned Super X Performance track is recognized around the world as one of the fastest, most durable and environmentally safest tracks available. Installed at more than 1,100 venues globally, Super X Performance was the track of eight Olympic Games through 2004. (Mondo's newest track surface, Mondotrack, was the official track of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will be the track of the 2012 London Olympics.) More than 230 world records have been set on Mondo tracks, including five at the 2008 Games.
"Because of their proven performance benefits, Mondo rubber flooring products are frequently selected for the world's finest athletic venues, including the 168th Street Armory," said Federico Stroppiana, vice president, strategic development, Mondo Group. "It is only fitting that the best track and field athletes from the largest Division I-A conference in the country compete for the conference crown at one of the country's premier facilities on a Mondo track that lets them perform their best."
Mondo's Super X Performance track was designed to provide consistent performance throughout its life. The vulcanized natural rubber surface provides maximum elasticity and unparalleled durability, and its embossed, textured finish makes it extremely easy to maintain with no resurfacing required. Ideal for both training and high-performance competition, the track is renowned for its shock absorption and optimal energy return, and its ideal blend of speed and comfort minimizes the occurrence of injuries.
In addition to the Armory track itself, the Mondo Super X surface covers the venue's infield, a separate jogging track, floors outside of the track perimeter and the entire expanse of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, on the facility's third floor.
The New Balance Track & Field Center hosts more than 100 indoor track and field meets and more than 125,000 athletes each year. In addition to numerous youth sports and educational programs, the Armory runs the Hispanic Games, the New Balance Games, and the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, the largest indoor college meet in the U.S.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports and contract flooring markets, manufacturing rubber flooring surfaces for virtually every application. More than 1,100 Mondo tracks and 800 Mondo artificial turf fields are installed worldwide. The official supplier of the athletic track for the past nine Olympic Games and the upcoming 2012 London Olympics, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations.
The company supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondo Marine division.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo sells its products in more than 196 countries. The company's global headquarters are in Italy, and it has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. More information about Mondo is available at mondoworldwide.com.
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Mondo and Mondotrack are registered trademarks of Mondo.