Rekortan M and Polytan SMART at the GSP stadium complex in Strovolos, Cyprus

Catapulted into a new dimension

The GSP Complex, named after the association Gymnastikos Syllogos Pankipria in Strovolos in the Nicosia district (Στάδιο ΓΣΠ), consists of three stadiums in total. In addition to the football stadium itself, there is an adjacent athletics stadium and an additional athletics facility with a football training field. The football stadium has a capacity of 22,859 seats, making it the largest in all of Cyprus. It is home to the three first-division football clubs from Nicosia (APOEL, Olympiakos, and Omonia), as well as the Cyprus national football team. The venue is also one of the few on the island that meets UEFA criteria for international matches. For this reason, the stadium is often used by other Cypriot clubs for European competitions. The "National Athletics Centre", as it is also called, is the only facility in Cyprus built exclusively for athletics. The integrated living accommodations with hotel-like amenities and a view of the stadium make the complex a popular and well-equipped training center for athletes from around the world. The athletic tracks in the stadium were initially installed by Polytan in 2007 and were renewed in spring 2023 after 16 years of intensive use. Together with Excelo Ltd., a leading flooring specialist from Strovolos, we equipped the eight lanes of the running track with Rekortan M in sky blue, along with the sprint track and areas for various jumping disciplines. The chosen Rekortan M surface provides an optimal compromise between excellent shock absorption and maximum acceleration - qualities appreciated by middle-distance runners and sprinters alike. On additional surfaces for jumping and throwing disciplines, Rekortan M in terracotta red was used. The running tracks in the athletics stadium also feature Polytan SMART, our highly precise system for professional performance diagnostics. This cutting-edge solution is ideal, particularly for classic athletics disciplines, as it enables athletes to optimize their performance through digital diagnostics. Polytan SMART is available 24/7 for accurate measurements, regardless of weather conditions and for multiple athletes simultaneously. This technology allows performance data to be recorded using a body sensor or a smartphone app. Apart from running disciplines, Strovolos also enables the measurement of long jump and pole vault approaches. Ultimately, training content and performances can be precisely recorded, documented, and analyzed here. The athletic facility in Strovolos is now certified as a World Athletics Class 1 stadium. The athletics stadium is primarily used by the namesake all-Cyprus athletics club, which also includes the neighboring Liverpool FC International Academy. The comprehensive upgrades, combined with the fully equipped training center, propel this facility into a new dimension: The All-Cyprus Athletic Games, the Cypriot athletics championships, were already held here in the summer of 2023. In 2025, the European Throwing Cup competition will take place here, featuring events such as shot put, discus, hammer, and javelin throw, with a total of sixteen competitions. Training and warm-up for these events will take place at the adjacent third athletics facility of the complex, which was also updated by Polytan with Rekortan M in terracotta red in spring 2023. The ideal training conditions, on-site accommodation, and mild winter climate attract many international athletes to Nicosia, who use the athletics stadium to prepare for the outdoor season. It has since become a flagship project not only for the region but for all of Cyprus. Photos: Christos Christofides, Excelo Ltd.