Bruges (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Sport Vlaanderen’s athletics track in Bruges has reopened after a year-long renovation, featuring a new Mondo surface that enhances performance and reduces injury risk for athletes.
The athletics track at the Sport Vlaanderen site has reopened after being renovated for a year. It now has a new Mondo top layer, which is a strong surface that helps improve athletic performance. This type of surface was also put in at the King Baudouin Stadium last year, which is important because it is used for big international events like the Olympic Games. The Mondo surface is made to give runners good grip help them use less energy, and run faster. It also has cushioning to lower the chance of injuries, so it’s good for both professional athletes and casual runners. The renovation is part of a bigger plan to improve sports facilities at the Sport Vlaanderen site, making sure they are safe and up to date. The reopening is a big improvement for athletes in the area, giving them a top-quality track for training and competitions.
What does Bruges’ WA 2 label mean for local athletics?
Bruges now qualifies for the WA 2 label which is necessary for hosting Belgian and Flemish championships and some international events. The new track cost 2.3 million, with most of the funding coming from the city since local sports clubs use it 84 percent of the time. The track was festively opened today on 29th August attended by many locals, athletes and three Olympians javelin thrower Timothy Herman, runner Rani Vincke, and runner Alexander Doom. Alexander Doom highlighted the importance of good infrastructure stating that it attracts young people and helps athletics clubs recruit new members.
“The new track is really good it’s a Mondo track made for fast running, which many athletes usually have to go abroad to use. We don’t have many tracks here, so having this one improved is a big plus for us.” This was also said by the athletics group Olympic Brugge, with chairman Frank Verhelst saying, “The new track is a huge change from the old one; they can’t be compared.” The Bruges athletes had to train without their own track for a year because the renovation took longer due to a wet spring. “We had to practice in other places for 10 months, which was organized well, but we really missed our home track. The young runners are excited to finally run on it,” Verhelst added.
