Sport Group tracks hold the most World Records set at the Olympics
64 out of 84 World Records from Mexico 1968 to Tokyo 2020 were broken on Rekortan and Tartan tracks.
In the synthetic track era, Sport Group's Tartan and Rekortan tracks have hosted the majority of athletics World Records at the Olympic Games. Of the 84 World Records achieved between the 1968 Games in Mexico and Tokyo 2020, an impressive 64 were set on these innovative surfaces. By comparison, the World Record tally for the last eight Olympics which were run on other surfaces stands at just 20.
The most Olympic Records
In total, 221 Olympic Records have been broken on Rekortan and Tartan tracks over the course of the six Games for which they were selected as the competition track. The record haul on other tracks stands at just 94 from the eight Games from Barcelona to Tokyo. That means seven out of each 10 Olympic Records from 1968 to 2020 were set on Rekortan and Tartan tracks.
As we head into the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, we take a look back at the phenomenal performances behind these record-breaking numbers.
24 World Records tumble on Mexico 1968’s Tartan track
A ground-breaking 24 World Records were shattered at Mexico 1968, setting a new standard for athletic prowess. These Games introduced the world to the breakthrough improvements in athletics that resulted from synthetic tracks, with World Records accompanying gold-medal performances in a multitude of events. Notably, 10 of these records were claimed by the USA's powerhouse team, who dominated the Sprint events.
History is made over 100m and in High Jump
The Mexico Games marked a milestone in sprinting, with Jim HINES (USA) becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m, clocking 9.95 seconds.
Additionally, Richard FOSBURY (USA) debuted the game-changing Fosbury Flop in the High Jump, breaking no less than three Olympic Records with this revolutionary technique.
A legendary Long Jump from Bob Beamon
Mexico became host to the longest-standing Olympic Record in track and field when Bob BEAMON jumped 8.90m in the Long Jump – the current Olympic Record for 56 years and counting. The American’s jump also surpassed the existing World Record by 55cm and remained the World Record for 23 years until it was finally overtaken by current World Record-holder Mike POWELL at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 1991. In an event where the athlete has just 40m of running surface to achieve top speed before the jump, the role of the track is key.
“Mexico became host to the longest-standing Olympic Record in track and field when Bob BEAMON jumped 8.90m in the Long Jump – the current Olympic Record for 56 years and counting.”
The record-setting pace continues at Munich 1972 with 17 athletics world records
Hosting 17 athletics world records, Munich 1972 showcased notable performances across multiple events.
John AKII-BUA became the first African male Olympic champion from Uganda and the first and only Olympic Champion from Africa in the men’s 400m hurdles. His time of 47.72 seconds made him the first man to break 48 seconds in the event.
Lasse VIRÉN’S World Record in the 10,000m is a story of remarkable resilience. Falling at the 12th lap, the Flying Finn recovered to take the win and broke Ron Clarke’s seven-year-old World Record in 27:38:40. He went on to win gold at the 5,000m race a week later and took gold at both events again at the 1976 Games in Montreal.
Mary PETERS (GBR) claimed a gold and set a World Record in the women’s Pentathlon with 4,801 points, and Germany dominated in the women’s Relay events with West Germany setting a new World Record in the 4 x 100m and East Germany in the 4 x 400m.
Nine world records recorded at Montreal 1976
Montreal 1976 saw records fall across numerous track and field disciplines, including the men’s 800m and the Decathlon. The Games also marked the Olympic debut of Edwin MOSES (USA), who won gold and set a World Record (the first of many) in a time of 47.64 in the men’s 400m Hurdles. Moses remained undefeated for almost 10 years and won 122 races in a row between 1977 and 1987 in what is widely considered as one of the most impressive achievements in track and field of all time.
Cuban runner Alberto JUANTORENA became the only athlete in history to win a gold medal in both the 400m (44:26) and 800m, setting the 800m World Record in the process with a time of 1:43.50. That he achieved this in the same Olympic Games makes his achievement all the more remarkable.
Poland’s Irena SZEWIŃSKA, considered by many experts to be the greatest female athlete in the history of track and field, medalled at this Olympics for the fourth consecutive time, a feat she achieved over five different events (100m, 200m, 400m, Long Jump and 4 x 100m). Her gold medal in the 400m at Montreal added to her extraordinary tally and she remains the only athlete, male or female, to have held the World Record at the 100m, 200m and 400m.
Moscow 1980 delivers Olympic memories with six World Records
Moscow 1980’s athletics competition reaffirmed the track’s reliability, despite the absence of the all-conquering USA team and most of their Cold War allies in the Western Bloc. Memorable performances, such as the highly anticipated head-to-head clashes over 800m and 1500m between Great Britain’s Sebastian COE and Steve OVETT, made their mark, with the world’s athletes delivering world-class performances.
Los Angeles 1984 puts on a show of strength
Team USA re-emerged after an eight-year Olympic hiatus with dazzling efforts from Carl LEWIS and Edwin MOSES at Los Angeles 1984. Lewis, the undisputed athlete of the Games, claimed four gold medals and one World Record: 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay (WR) and the Long Jump. Great Britain’s Daley THOMPSON showed his class as an all-round athlete, winning gold in the Decathlon and equalling the World Record with 8,798 points (a score that was later recalculated, crowning him sole World Record holder).
Solid-gold efforts and six World Records from Seoul 1988
With six World Records in the athletics competition at Seoul 1988, Rekortan’s reputation for empowering athletic performance was solidified, hosting breath-taking performances by the late, great Florence GRIFFITH-JOYNER (USA), who broke world records in both the 200m semi-final and final (her time of 21.34 still stands as the World Record), finishing the Games with a total of three gold medals and one silver. She also set two Olympic Records in the 100m and was part of the gold-winning USA team at the 4 x 100m Relay.
Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE (USA), widely acclaimed as the greatest Heptathlon athlete of all time, claimed gold in the Heptathlon in what is also still the World Record. To this day, she holds the six best scores ever achieved at Heptathlon events, and she is also an Olympic and World champion in the Long Jump.
Carl Lewis managed to claim the 100m World Record with his time of 9.92, in a blistering final that saw all three eventual medal-winners finish in under 10 seconds.
Records soar in Seoul
Seoul 1988 represented a coming-of-age for the synthetic track natives, who were the first generation to have trained for the majority of their careers on these tracks. Twenty years after the first synthetic track in Mexico, Seoul saw more track and field records broken than at any Olympics coming after. Excluding field events, 24 records tumbled in the track and combined events, a higher tally than the sum of records in track and field events at any subsequent Games.
Synthetic track era continues to propel the sport
In the modern era, synthetic tracks emerged as the superior way to enhance performance and make the sport even more exciting. Tracks with first-rate force reduction and energy return led to better performances and Sport Group’s Rekortan and Tartan tracks were at the heart of this movement.
In the last two decades, Sport Group has continued to invest heavily in R&D, producing track innovations with improved athlete welfare, performance and environmental stewardship. From SMART tracks to Gel tracks, Rekortan, with the world’s most certified tracks, continues to redefine what's possible on the track.
Discover more about Rekortan's Olympic legacy here and here.
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