Manchester’s Olympic, Commonwealth and European Championships Gold Medal sprinter Darren Campbell, MBE has been appointed as global track strategy director for sports tech company Feldspar.
In the newly created role, the gold medallist will oversee real-time testing of Feldspar’s next-generation smart running track prototype, complimentary to his role as head of sprints, hurdles, and relays at UK Athletics, as well as working with several Premier League footballers to improve their sprinting abilities.
As one of Britain’s most successful sprinters, Campbell brings unparalleled expertise to Feldspar. His experience as an internationally recognised coach will be pivotal as he leads the testing of the track’s performance with elite athletes.
Campbell’s extensive global profile will also be instrumental in advancing Feldspar’s long-term vision, while his decade-long broadcast and media experience will contribute significantly to the development of the software’s architecture and its visualisation for live entertainment.
Alvina Chen, founder and CEO of Feldspar said: “We are thrilled to welcome Darren to Feldspar. His winning mindset and deep understanding of athletic performance and broadcasting make him an invaluable addition to our rapidly growing team as we advance the development of our modular digital high-performance running track. Darren’s exceptional career, top-tier coaching expertise, international network in the world of athletics, and broadcast and media experience, will undoubtedly be key in turning Feldspar’s ambitious vision into reality.”
Campbell added: “I’m excited to join Feldspar at such a pivotal moment for athletics. With Team GB achieving an all-time-high by bringing home 10 medals from Paris on the running track, we all feel the energy, but I strongly believe the opportunity is there to inject more excitement into the sport and that the industry is ripe for innovation.
“I’m looking forward to collaborating with Feldspar and helping to bring athletics to the digital age. Feldspar’s sensor-enabled running track is a groundbreaking innovation that has the potential to revolutionise not just how athletes train and compete, but also how fans experience live events.
“From a broadcast standpoint, incorporating real-time data and engaging insights post-race could enable an unprecedented level of analysis. This deeper level of insight has the potential to enhance the viewers’ understanding and draw them closer to the action on the track.”
