BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jamaica's Usain Bolt has set another world record on Mondotrack, the official track surface of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the newest track from Mondo, the global leader in the sports flooring market.
At National Stadium on Wednesday night, just four days after setting the world record in the 100-meter dash, the fastest man on the planet set a new world record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 19.30 seconds, breaking the world record set by American Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Games by two-hundredths of a second.
This makes Bolt the first man ever to break world records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the same Olympic Games and the first to win both sprint titles at the same Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.
Bolt's mark is the fourth new world record set on Mondotrack at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The other three are:
* Men's 100-meter dash - Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 9.69 seconds * Women's 3000-meter steeplechase - Gulnara Galkina-Samitova, Russia, 8:58.81 * Women's pole vault - Elena Isinbaeva, Russia, 5.05 meters
"Mondo invests heavily in research and development to design products that let athletes perform at their very best," said Federico Stroppiana, president of Mondo North and South America. "It's always a thrill when an athlete sets a new world record or achieves a personal best on one of our tracks. We congratulate Usain Bolt and all of the track and field athletes competing in the 2008 Olympic Games. It's an honor to have provided the track that helped them achieve their Olympic dreams."
Mondotrack builds upon the success of Mondo's world-renowned Super X Performance track, which has been the world's top track for more than 30 years and the track of the past eight Olympic Games. The new track was designed to provide 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. Mondotrack also provides excellent athletic comfort and maximum safety.
Recognized around the world as the fastest, most durable and environmentally safest tracks available, Mondo tracks are installed at more than 1,100 venues globally. Many athletes have achieved their best performances on Mondo tracks, which is why more than 230 world records and numerous Olympic, national and personal bests have been set on Mondo tracks.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. The official supplier of the athletic track and basketball and handball courts of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations, including FIBA, IAAF, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, NIRSA, U.S. Track Coaches Association and YMCA.
The company also supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and is the world's largest producer of sports and toy balls with an average daily production of 450,000 units. In addition, it manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondo Marine division.
Mondo invests heavily in research and development to ensure its products meet the highest quality standards in the industry, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo's global headquarters are in Italy. The company has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products in more than 196 countries. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
Mondo is a registered trademark of Mondo.
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