Thursday, June 25, 2009

blueseventy Ready for Rome

blueseventy has confirmed that body suits will be available at the World Championships in line with FINAs requirement to supply all competing athletes. Sufficient stocks are available to meet demand all major events this summer, including the European Junior Championships.

Having not altered its technical suit since initial approval in March, blueseventy has continued to produce the suits as planned. blueseventy suits were recently reinstated to FINAs list of approved suits after the brand successfully demonstrated that they do not trap air.

Athletes at the World Championships are invited to test blueseventy suits during competition in Rome.

Ceo, Steve Nicholls, commented: “There are plenty of suits available. We were confident of getting through the latest approval process and continued with production. We’re working closely with retailers to ensure supply meets demand, and will be in Rome with suits.”

“On this basis we are 100% prepared for The European Junior Championships and have yet to be contacted by LEN to discuss our situation. It’s disappointing that athletes at the European Junior Championships next month will not be permitted to select suits from the full list of currently approved suits. This can only cause an unnecessary distraction for them.”

LEN, the European governing body, will allow only those suits included on FINAs list from 19 May on the basis that newly approved suits are unlikey to be available in sufficient volumes to supply all competing athletes.

Nicholls added: “We are absolutely ready for Rome and look forward to seeing the swimmers, rather than swimwear, grabbing the headlines.”

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Ironman Japan

Luke McKenzie has just crossed the line here to take back-to-back titles at Ironman Japan. It was a jubilant McKenzie running down the chute, acknowledging everyone in attendance, and of course proudly holding the Australian flag.
It was a humble Luke McKenzie acknowleding the crowd, who admitted once he realized his magnitude of his lead with 6km to go, began to struggle, and upon reaching the final three kilometers, had to stop at each aid station for at least 30 seconds.

'I'm not going to make it' he told Whit Raymond, 'but as soon as I got over that final hill, I lifted and knew I'd get home'.

'I gave it everything, it took so much out of me' was all he could manage by the end, clearly struggling with putting everything he had into today's race. And with back-to-back titles, it was an amazing effort for the 27 year old, who has now taken his third Ironman crown.

Final Standings - Top 10 Men
1. Luke McKenzie 8:28:31
2. Courtney Ogden 8:42:54
3. Petr Vabrousek 8:45:59
4. Park Byung Hoon 8:49:10
5. Kuniaki Takahama 8:51:28
6. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi 8:56:59
7. Cameron Watt 8:57:54
8. Morimichi Iihoshi 9:03:22
9. Masayuki Matsumaru 9:04:14
10. Daiki Masuda 9:05:17

Final Standings - Top 10 Women
1. Nicole Klingler 9:52:52
2. Nicole Ward 9:56:00
3. Megumi Shigaki 10:01:07
4. Hiromi Sato 10:07:50
5. Hillary Biscay 10:14:19
6. Kaori Tokai 10:31:29
7. Mai Taketomo 10:46:18
8. Amanda Balding 10:51:55
9. Anne Fallows 11:05:59
10. Masako Kawakami 11:11:21

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Ironman Coeur d'Alene with Guy


Our own Guy Crawford was at Ironman Coeur d'Alene this past week. Here's an excerpt from his blog on race day:

"Conditions looked great this morning , light breeze and the temperature was cool but not freezing... Shame i can't say it stayed like that.

The pro swim start was at 6:25am and the age groupers at 7am .
first out of the water was Flanagan and then the main group of contenders including Rhodes and Pontano.

Kate Major and heather Wurtele were close only seperated by a few second come the end of the swim. It was dark horse Tyler Stewart that came from behind and rode 4:59 to take a demanding lead heading out on to the run. This lead would prove to be too much for Major and Wurtele to close and Stewart came home for her first IM Win ....A surperb victory for a talented lady.

The mens race was an interested affair , Bryan Rhodes lost his pedal and contact with Potano .
Pontano then went on to take controll of the race and never looked back .
American TJ tollakson had a great swim , bike , run combo to come in for second place and rounding out the top three was the funny man "Max Longree" from Germany , who ran his way through the field to finish on the podium.

Congrats to every-one for a great race and toughing it out in those cold conditions"

1 STEWART, TYLER 12/1/1 31/WPRO 01:04:38 04:59:35 03:15:28 09:23:21
2 MAJOR, KATE 2/3/2 32/WPRO 00:58:29 05:16:25 03:13:55 09:32:10
3 WURTELE, HEATHER 4/2/3 30/WPRO 00:58:35 05:12:41 03:19:08 09:34:24
4 COOPER, HALEY 11/6/4 29/WPRO 01:04:30 05:19:24 03:24:01 09:51:11
5 KIERS, RACHEL 9/8/5 29/WPRO 01:03:46 05:22:06 03:23:59 09:53:43
6 BANKE, ANN 8/4/6 30/WPRO 01:03:00 05:18:53 03:26:51 09:54:00
7 JACOBS, JESSICA 15/10/7 33/WPRO 01:13:11 05:22:41 03:12:00 09:54:58
8 NIEDERFRINIGER, EDITH 3/9/8 38/WPRO 00:58:31 05:32:49 03:19:54 09:56:44
9 LILJEBLAD, KELLY 13/13/9 37/WPRO 01:07:33 05:39:06 03:16:46 10:08:31
10 KAMENZ, ANNETT 14/12/10 33/WPRO 01:08:33 05:32:15 03:26:50 10:12:00
1 PONTANO, FRANCISCO 3/1/1 35/MPRO 00:50:28 04:40:41 02:57:50 08:32:12
2 TOLLAKSON, TJ 7/2/2 29/MPRO 00:56:07 04:41:49 03:00:32 08:42:03
3 LONGR?E, MAXIMILIAN 14/7/3 28/MPRO 00:59:48 04:52:28 02:54:31 08:50:19
4 HENKEL, JUSTIN 22/13/4 33/MPRO 01:12:52 04:50:11 02:49:32 08:56:08
5 MIETTINEN, TUUKKA 19/5/5 27/MPRO 01:01:33 04:47:23 03:09:41 09:02:49
6 WURTELE, TREVOR 12/8/6 30/MPRO 00:58:32 04:54:41 03:06:20 09:03:52
7 CURRY, SCOTT 10/4/7 34/MPRO 00:57:50 04:50:08 03:13:16 09:04:45
8 FLANAGAN, JOHN 1/6/8 34/MPRO 00:48:37 05:00:25 03:11:40 09:05:26
9 RUBLE, ZACH 9/12/9 27/MPRO 00:56:46 05:01:04 03:04:21 09:06:30
10 CAIN, DALLAS 21/10/10 31/MPRO 01:07:18 04:46:36 03:18:57

Monday, June 22, 2009

blueseventy Body Suits Back in the Water

blueseventy’s high-tech swimming body suits are back in the pool after the sport’s governing body, FINA, reversed its decision to ban them on the grounds of possible air trapping.
This decision means that swimmers are free to wear them at the forthcoming World Championships in Rome, and all other competitions, at all levels around the world.
Ceo, Steve Nicholls, commented: “We were confident in the scientific evidence that our suit could not trap air and are grateful for the support of Huub Touissant of the University of Amsterdam in presenting our case to FINA. We felt strongly that we would not need to make any alterations to it and we’re delighted that the right decision has been made without any form of bias.
“The last few weeks have certainly hurt us, with minimal sales in the period of not being on the list. However, we have been continuing with production to ensure availability for when the decision was reversed.
We now look forward to the World Championships, where we will have suits available for any swimmers wanting to try them out. We have been in continuous communication with swimmers throughout this period and this announcement now confirms their suit choice for Rome. They can now continue their preparation without this distraction.
"Prior to the latest announcement by FINA, blueseventy had consulted Lawyers to get an injunction against the decision. On consultation with FINA they encouraged us to instead go through their own review process which we have done." Nicholls added.
“The most important thing is that swimmers now know where they stand and have a choice about what suit they can wear. We will do everything we can to ensure that our suits are available and that all swimmers have access to them from all of our global distributors and subsidiaries.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Alistair on Top of the World


The month of June belongs to Alistair Brownlee. Just last weekend blueseventy athlete Brownlee raced at a sprint distance French Grand Prix. Not even being hospitalized from a dog bite on Saturday night could slow him down. A lead group of a dozen took the swim out hard and maintained their lead through the bike with Brownlee in the hunt. Al moves forward on the run and surged into the lead in the final 400 meters to win victory, stitches and all.

No rest for this champion though. Just today Al competed in Washington DC as part of the ITU World Championship Series. Out of the water Brownlee was in 4th with a small gap.(Fellow blueseventy Athlete Andy Potts made his ITU debut for the year and led the men from the water) The lead pack shrunk to four over the course of the bike leg with a 2:00 lead over the rest of the competition. Brownlee then took the lead on the run and crossed the finish for victory by 12 seconds over Javier Gomez.

Back to back outstanding performances for Brownlee move him to #1 in the ITU World Rankings. Next up for Al are the European Championships on July 5th where he will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Nero RZR Goggle Makes Waves


The blueseventy Nero RZR goggle has been making a splash in the marketplace since it's introduction just a few weeks ago. Check out what swimmers are saying:

"I was VERY skeptical about these goggles when you first gave them to me (well, you gave them to Heather because I said I wouldn’t use them). I’ve used the same goggles (TYR Racetech) for decades and saw no need to change. The thing that gave me the most concern was the semi-solid nose piece. Well, I’m 100% sold. The double strap keeps the goggles more securely on my face in the waves yet is totally comfortable for the pool. The goggles include several different nose pieces to fit different shaped/sized faces and is MUCH more comfortable than my old TYR Racetech goggles. You gave me the yellow goggles and they are amazing to wear – they make the cloudiest day seem sunny yet in bright sun don’t seem to amplify the brightness. Please carry them so I can buy more when these get scratched!"

We're in the process of updating our website with all our new goggles so stay tuned to www.blueseventy.com for more information!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Strong Performances at 70.3 UK

Catriona Morrison took the lead in the run at UK 70.3 to claim the women's title. Morrison found herself chasing Julie Dibens as she started the run. Dibens led the way out of the water in her blueseventy Helix and remained in front through the ride but wasn't able to hold off Morrison during the run. Rounding out the top three in the women's race was Bella Bayliss, fresh off a successful defence of Ironman Lanzarote just a few weeks ago.
On the men's side, Philip Graves blasted to the front of the race during the ride and never looked back as he took the men's title at Ironman 70.3 UK. Graves posted the fastest swim of the day, leaving the water with fellow blueseventy athletes Stephan Bayliss and Bayliss Anderson. Graves rode four minutes faster than the rest of his competition over the challenging Wimbleball bike course and never looked back as he held off both Bayliss and Cartnell for the win.

Albert First Out of Water at 70.3 Switzerland

Marko Albert led the race from the water in typical fashion at 70.3 Switzerland.

Two weeks earlier he led out of the water at 70.3 Australia and will be looking to add to these solid performances throughout the year.

Marko is back from injury, in great shape, and looking towards racing back on both the ITU circuit and 70.3 Worlds.
Good luck and great swimming Marko!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Top Times at Boise 70.3

blueseventy recent addition Magali Tisseyre proved to be a strong competitor at the Boise 70.3. In a stacked pro field Tisseyre was second from the water behind fellow blueseventy athlete Brooke Davison. Tisseyre then took the lead with a bike split of 2:16.28. She maintained her position on the run though second place finisher, Linsey Corbin, posted the fastest run split in the women's field. Finishing in third was 2006 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Samantha McGlone.

1 TISSEYRE, MAGALI 17/15/17 28/PRO 00:28:57 02:16:28 01:24:31 04:12:29
2 CORBIN, LINSEY 27/23/21 28/PRO 00:31:24 02:21:16 01:25:36 04:20:58
3 MCGLONE, SAMANTHA 20/25/22 30/PRO 00:29:05 02:25:03 01:28:50 04:25:10
4 DAVISON, BROOKE 7/27/23 38/PRO 00:26:38 02:30:44 01:27:07 04:26:46
5 VANDEWATER, MELISSA 28/31/25 31/PRO 00:31:24 02:28:43 01:29:46 04:32:34


Current Ironman World Champion, Craig Alexander, claimed the title with an exciting sprint to the finish alongside second place finisher and blueseventy athlete Chris Lieto. The winning time of 3:51.46 was just 2 seconds ahead of Lieto who finished with a time of 3:51:48. Tisseyre, with top finishes at this year's Ironman 70.3 Florida and Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, achieved first place success with a time of 4:12:29. Alexander, Lieto, and Gambles remained together for a majority of the race. Lieto maintained te lead on the bike and run until Alexander took over within mere feet of the finish line.

1 ALEXANDER, CRAIG 3/4/1 00:25:39 02:10:08 01:13:44 03:51:46
2 LIETO, CHRIS 4/1/2 37/PRO 00:25:43 02:04:27 01:19:12 03:51:48
3 GAMBLES, JOE 5/3/3 27/PRO 00:25:46 02:09:16 01:19:04 03:56:24
4 HOFFMAN, BEN 10/2/4 26/PRO 00:28:04 02:06:38 01:19:21 03:56:32
5 HURD, JUSTIN 26/10/5 28/PRO 00:31:18 02:09:43 01:13:23 03:57:29

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Eagleman 70.3

Cambridge, Maryland played host to the annual Eagleman 70.3 this past weekend. blueseventy's Natasha Badmann proved she's still got it finishing second to Carfrae. Badmann rode almost eight minutes faster to take a three minute lead starting the run. Carfrae caught the six-time Ford Ironman World Champion of Switzerland at the turnaround of the run. The two women battled it out for a short time before Carfrae, the 2007 Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Champion, pulled away to take the lead. Rounding out the top three finishers was blueseventy athlete Desiree Flicker. Flicker will also be racing Ironman Couer d'Alene this weekend and is likely to be one of the main contenders.
On the men's side, it was current 70.3 World Champion Ternezo Bozzone who took the win over Cunningham. blueseventy's own Michael Lovato rounded out the top 3 finishers. Lovatos dual top ten results at the Kona Ironman World Championships make him a formidable force in the longer distances.
Great racing athletes!

1 CARFRAE, MIRINDA 10/16/11 28/Professional 00:26:29
02:24:42 01:19:33 04:13:27
2 BADMANN, NATASCHA 22/13/14 43/Professional 00:30:26 02:16:38
01:26:48 04:17:00
3 FICKER, DESIREE 19/19/16 33/Professional 00:29:07 02:28:08
01:24:17 04:24:49

1 BOZZONE, TERENZO 1/1/1 24/Professional 00:23:35 02:08:11
01:16:54 03:51:11
2 CUNNINGHAM, RICHIE 3/3/2 36/Professional 00:24:15 02:11:14
01:13:25 03:51:27
3 LOVATO, MICHAEL 9/2/3 36/Professional 00:26:26 02:08:59
01:18:43 03:56:50

Monday, June 15, 2009

Big Results for blueseventy at Alcatraz

Andy Potts became a 3 time champion with his win at the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco this past weekend. Mary Beth Ellis held off defending champion Leanda Cave on her way to the women's title.
While Andy is known for his dominate performance in the water, it seems that the young guns of the sport, Clayton Fettel and Dustin McLarty are not letting Potts take the swims with such ease. All 3 blueseventy athletes were in the first group out of the water with Clayton and Dustin in the lead, but it was Potts who took control on the bike leg. Once off the bike Potts was unstoppable, putting together his third straight win here at Alcatraz.
Rounding out the top three was David Thompson and Graham O'Grady, both having great days to finish on the podium in a very competitive pro field.
On the women's side, perennial favorite and blueseventy athlete Leanda Cave was out of the water second and moved into the lead later in the race but was edged out at the end to finish second. Still a stellar performance for Leanda - always the strong competitor.
Congratulations blueseventy athletes on strong performances in and out of the water!

Wellington Wins Kansas 70.3

In shades of the Ford Ironman World Championship, Wellington suffered a puncture during the bike, but managed to change the tire in a matter of minute and post the day's fastest bike split for the women.
Chrissie's overall strength in all 3 disciplines must have her opponents wondering what they will have to do to beat her! The blueseventy athlete is the dominate force in any 70.3 and IM race she enteres.
Chrissie is at the front from the get go, leading out of the water at IM Australia and second out of the water in Kansas. Once again in Kansas, history repeats itself and Wellington suffers a punctured bike tire. The set back proves minor and Chrissie once again demolishes the competition to take first place leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Congrats Chrissie!

1 WELLINGTON, CHRISSY 2/1/1 1/F-PRO 00:25:11 02:26:51 01:20:16 04:14:52
2 TAYLOR, PIP 1/3/2 29/F-PRO 00:24:17 02:30:18 01:23:02 04:19:42
3 MARSH, AMY 3/2/3 32/F-PRO 00:25:51 02:26:29 01:26:46 04:21:38

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

TEAM TBB EXCELS IN EUROPE AND CANADA

This past weekend Rebekah Keat (pictured left) from Teamtbb won in Niederbron-Les-Bains at Challenge France. James Cunnama also had an outstanding race in the Pro Men category with a 4th place finish.

In Switzerland at the Rapperswil 70.3, Teamtbb’s own Erika Csomor finished in 4th, putting pressure on the very strong Swiss team.

Rounding out the recent competitions for the team was the Oliver Half Iron Canada. Teamtbb’s Jonathan Caron had an outstanding performance. Jonathan was at the front of the pack throughout the race but took the lead quickly on the run. He held the top position until the 14km mark when Tom Evans gained ground and went on to beat Caron out by a mere 18 seconds.

Congrats to all Teamtbb athletes on their outstanding performances!
For more information on Teamtbb check out their website at www.teamtbb.com

Monday, June 8, 2009

DEDICATED FINA UPDATE NOW ON IT"S OWN BLOG

To keep everyone informed of the daily updates regarding our nero suits, please click on the FINA UPDATES link (top right) for dedicated updates.

Thanks
blueseventy