Artistic impression of the London 2012 hockey stadium with blue artificial grass.
With rugby and footballing pros talking-up the sporting benefits of training and competing on artificial grass pitches, it’s hardly surprising that artificial grass is set to become a fixture at the London 2012 Olympics.
In fact, artificial grass is set to become a colourful talking point at the London games, as organisers have revealed that in the 2012 Olympics, hockey pitches will be blue and run-off areas will be pink – making it the first Olympic or world event to be played on artificial turf that’s not the traditional green.
While the move to turn artificial hockey pitches from green to a Union-jack blue may seem like a purely patriotic decision, experts have explained that the simple switch in colour could help improve visibility for players, officials, spectators and broadcasters.
“It provides a strong contrast for players against a white ball and white lines,” said GB International Alex Danson.
Kelly Fairweather, chief executive of the International Hockey Federation, added that the use of coloured artificial grass pitches would not just help to improve viewing but is sure to help ensure world-class quality of play as well.
“The playing performance and quality of a pitch are our primary concern,” Fairweather said, going on to explain:
“In addition though, we’re keen to innovate in the presentation of hockey to ensure, among other things, that spectators either in the stadium or on television get a good view of the exciting field action.”
And it’s not just the London 2012 Olympics that are giving coloured artificial grass a glowing endorsement. The Nordic Ski Championships made sure to feature logo-embossed mats and event flooring featuring our white and orange coloured artificial grass products.