Poligras selected for LA Olympics

LA will be the 9th Olympics on a Poligras Turf

Every Olympics creates a step change in turf innovation. From the skills explosion that followed Sydney 2000 to the world’s first carbon zero turf in Paris 2024, Poligras has worked alongside hockey to advance turf technology across eight Olympic Games.

The result?

A playing surface that consistently raises the bar on playing performance and sustainability. From tomahawks to 3D skills to aerial hockey, from bio-based sugarcane to water reduction innovation, each step forward in turf technology unlocks more and more potential for the game.

Los Angeles will be the 9th Games on Poligras and its turf, at the iconic home of the LA Galaxy, will be the next generation advancement in our Olympic series.

Our new LA product is the current focus of our world-class R&D team and is coming soon to the hockey world via Polytan in Germany and Australia and AstroTurf (creator of the very first Olympic synthetic turf at Montreal 1976) in the USA.

Photo credit: World Sport Pics

A history and future of Olympic innovation

From synthetic turf ‘Day One’ at Montreal in 1976 to the future of turf at Los Angeles in 2028, Poligras, AstroTurf and Polytan have been at the heart of hockey’s turf transformation:

• Montreal 1976: The first Olympic synthetic turf, made by AstroTurf is born

• Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Moscow 1980, Seoul 1988: AstroTurf and Poligras turfs set the pace and gathered the momentum for the explosion of innovation in the 2000s.

• Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and the skills explosion: New polyethylene turf technology brought a revolution in playability, allowing for faster, more precise and more dynamic play on the first coloured turfs

• London 2012 and the birth of blue turf: as the sport’s first ‘turf-natives’ took centre stage, the iconic blue surface improved visibility and playability

• Rio 2016 heralds texturized turf technology: fibre shape innovation improved ball roll and reduced water evaporation resulting in a more fluid game that required up to 50% less water than previous Olympics

• Tokyo 2020 goes greener: the world's first climate-positive hockey turf, made from 60% sugarcane and green energy delivered a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions.

• Paris 2024 - a watershed moment: made from 80% sugarcane, the Paris turf became the world’s first carbon zero turf and its Turf Glide technology meant it required 63% less water than London 2012

• Los Angeles 2028 - the future of turf is coming…

Photo credit: World Sport Pics

Play On. Hockey’s First Carbon Zero Water Zero Turf.

The latest turf in our Olympic Series is the Poligras Paris GT zero. This Green Technology (GT) advancement is pioneering for the game: 

• Made with 80% sugarcane it replaces fossil fuel-based materials with bio-based ingredients in the manufacture of the turf fibre 

• Features proprietary friction-reducing technology called Turf Glide, which limits friction and abrasion 

• Meets the FIH Innovation standards for dry hockey 

• Play wet / play dry crossover functionality – this means when dry, it plays better than sand and when lightly irrigated, it plays like an elite surface 

• Our Paris turf required 63% less water than London 2012 marking massive water savings  

Over 50 clubs and facilities globally from Auckland to Chennai, Hamburg to Muscat, have chosen to instal the Paris turf, growing pride and excitement, improving the quality of play, attracting new players and collectively off-setting the carbon equivalent of 869 cars on the road for one year.  

Contact us today to explore a more sustainable future for your club and sport.