14.08.2008 - Top sporting performances with BASF products

Citius, Altius, Fortius (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) is the Olympic motto that will be motivating athletes from over 200 nations when they compete for medals in Beijing this August. Along with more than 10,000 athletes, numerous BASF products will also be at the Games. But not just in Beijing – BASF products are used in many of the world’s largest stadiums.
BASF expertise and technology are especially visible in the construction sector, starting with the Beijing Olympic Stadium. Nicknamed the Bird’s Nest because of its unique steel-lattice structures, the new stadium, which seats 91,000, has already become a landmark. BASF concrete admixtures enabled a shorter construction period while ensuring top quality concrete and stability. These advantages were also used in the construction of the Olympic Village, the Tennis Center and the Aquatics Center.
In other stadiums around the world, BASF products such as CONICA® sports surfaces help to set new records. As the world’s leading supplier of athletic track systems, BASF developed the all-plastic coating CONIPUR® M. It consists of three layers: The two bottom layers are extremely flexible and in this way protect athletes’ joints. A harder but nevertheless elastic third layer ensures that sprinters can perform optimally and achieve new world records. The famous blue track in Berlin’s Olympic stadium – site of the next world athletic championships in 2009 – also consists of CONIPUR® M.
BASF products are in demand after the events too. Surfactants offered by BASF in its extensive Lutensol® range successfully fight even the toughest dirt and can be found in many liquid and powder detergents worldwide. Sokalan® dye transfer inhibitors in color detergents ensure that colored clothes retain their color when they come out of the washing machine.