The purple track billed as the fastest in history already has its first world record. On a day when Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei won the men’s 10,000m title in an Olympic record and Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr made an almighty statement of intent, the US mixed 4x400m relay team broke the old best by more than a second.
Watching on was Jon Ridgeon, the World Athletics chief executive, who predicted that more records would tumble in the next eight days. “The track is fast, really fast,” he said. “And the athletes are also coming here in sublime form. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw four or five world records.”
Everyone else was singing from a similar tune about the new Mondo track, which the Italian manufacturer believes is 2% quicker than its lightning fast one for the Tokyo Olympics. “It’s super quick,” said Hodgkinson, after winning her 800m heat easily in 1min 59.31sec. “My legs were turning round and I was trying to slow down.”
“It’s a beautiful purple track – they don’t put us on slow tracks any more,” added Dina Asher-Smith after qualifying for the women’s 100m semi-finals after finishing second in her heat in 11.01sec, despite barely straying into third gear.
And then came that mixed 4x400m world record. True, it is probably the softest in the sport and most teams tend not to pick their biggest stars. But the US team of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown still made it look easy as they ran 3min 7.41sec.
The British mixed relay team of Sam Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson and Nicole Yeargin won the second heat in a time more than three seconds slower. It will give them confidence they can win a medal in Saturday’s final.
Mondo, incidentally, also claims to have developed a new blend for this Paris track that incorporates “bivalve mollusc shells, such as mussels and clams,” in its resilient flooring, making it more sustainable.
But the key to its speed, it says, is “elliptical geometric air cells, which allow the track to respond smoothly and dynamically to every step ... significantly enhancing the absorption and return of energy exerted”.
According to the reigning world 1500m champion Kerr, there is nothing fishy about that claim. “The track was definitely quick,” he said. “The goal here was just to stay relaxed and be confident in my fitness and I think I did that today.”
Kerr also said he was in far better shape than last year, which came as a neat rejoinder after the Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen had taken a pop at him.
Asked about his great rivalry with Kerr, the Norwegian replied: “It’s hard to refer to him as a rival when he’s never there. He is known as the Briton who never competes. I try to participate in as many races as I can and to entertain.”
Kerr’s tongue-in-cheek response after winning his heat in 3min 35.83sec? “Everyone can have their own opinions. I’ve no problems with that and I will hopefully be able to be remembered for something slightly different.”
Ingebrigtsen also looked good in his heat, easing through in third, and when he spoke to journalists afterwards he wore a mask. Asked why by one British reporter, he joked: “Because you are sick!”
There was also a whiff of London 2012 as the athletics at the Stade de France opened to a crowd close to 69,000 capacity for the morning and evening sessions as well as a wall of noise for home fans. It began with huge cheers for Bob Beamon, the 1968 Olympic long jump champion, who opened the newly unveiled track with three taps on his walking stick and it barely relented after that.
The atmosphere was a welcome contrast to the 2016 Rio Games, which barely had a couple of thousand spectators in the 60,000-capacity venue on the opening day. And, of course, the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were staged without crowds.
There were also huge cries of “Allez les Bleus” before every appearance by a French athlete and the mood was further helped by an in-house DJ at the track, complete with headphones and spinning decks, playing music. However the crowd were denied the chance to cheer for France’s decathlon world-record holder Kevin Mayer, who pulled out just before the start through injury.
They watched as the favourites for the women’s 100m, including the American Sha’Carri Richardson, breezed into the semi-finals. Britain’s Daryll Neita looked particularly good qualifying in joint-second fastest in 10.92, behind Marie-Josée Ta Lou, who ran 10.87.
However, there was no sighting of the Nigerian Favour Ofili, whose personal best of 10.93 would probably have qualified her for the final but her federation forgot to enter her. “I have worked four years to earn this opportunity. For what?” she said on social media. World Athletics later confirmed she was entered only for the 200m and 4x100m.
In the evening the 17-year-old Briton Phoebe Gill impressed, as did Jemma Reekie, as they qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 800m, with Gill running 1:58.83 in coming third in her heat.
“It was very fast,” said Gill. “I was getting a bit worried at 600m that I would have to run the repechage but I’m glad I found it in my legs to qualify in third.
“We’re in a different league now. I’m so used to front-running my races and not just worrying about people behind me. With these professionals you have to be adaptable and be on your game constantly. I’m happy I was able to get third with this calibre of athletes.
“It’s very emotional being out there. It’s my first time in this sort of arena. It’s the Olympics, the best competition in athletics. Seeing my face on the screen when the camera came around I was trying not to cry. You can’t break down before doing an 800m.”
The men’s 10,000m was run at a decent clip throughout, with the Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha and Selemon Barega stringing the field out for the first half of the race. But there were still nine athletes in contention at the bell before Cheptegei sped away to win gold in 26:43.14. Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi claimed silver and the American Grant Fisher took bronze.
