Elite Triathlete launches British Triathlon brand

21-04-2009

Olympic hopeful and entrepreneur, James Lock, is about to launch his own brand of high performance race wear developed specifically for swimmers, cyclists and runners.

The 24 year old Loughborough graduate has been a competitive athlete since he was ten years old.  As a junior he was a national ranked swimmer and runner and he turned to Triathlon when he became a student at Loughborough University.

In 2006, the same year he graduated with a first class degree in Architectural Engineering and Design Management, James became World Biathle Champion and World Amateur Aquathlon Champion and last year he upped the stakes in Triathlon when he started racing as an elite.  After a fantastic debut season, in which he finished seventh in the Elite Grand Prix, James now has his sights firmly set on the 2012 Olympics.

On top of achieving academic and sporting success, and spending around 16 hours a week in training, James has also found the time to set up his own business which he has based at Loughborough’s Innovation Centre.

Drawing on his vast sporting experience and the experiences of fellow athletes, James has developed his own brand of high performance race-wear – Zone3 – which utilises the latest technologies and materials to  increase speed, enhance overall appearance and improve comfort. 

James said: ‘Triathlon training gives you a lot of time to think . . . every length I’ve swum or mile I’ve cycled or ran, I’ve been thinking about how I could improve my performance.’

He continued: ‘Although British Triathletes have been a dominant force on the world stage for several years now, invariably they wear brands from the other side of the world.   I knew I could develop a British brand that reflects the level of sporting talent we have in this country.’

James has drawn on his own experiences and those of his sporting colleagues to tailor his sportswear specifically to the needs of the Triathlete and his products incorporate some truly innovative features that are not available from other brands.  His wetsuit, for example, features Pro Speed™ arm and leg cuffs which make it easier to take it off, saving valuable seconds during the transition from swimming to cycling in a Triathlon event.

James has big ambitions to see Zone3 on the world map by 2011 and for his sportswear to have a high-profile presence at the 2012 Olympics.

He says: ‘Some of the world’s top Triathletes are already using our wetsuits and racing suits so I am confident we will achieve this.’

His first exclusive range of Zone3 wetsuits and trisuits will be on sale through the Zone3 website – www.RaceZone3.com – from May and the full range will be available in 2010. 

?ENDS?

For all media enquiries contact:

Louise Smith
Marketing Officer (Enterprise)
Loughborough University, 
T: 01509 228684
E: L.A.Smith@lboro.ac.uk

or

Anna Seddon
Marketing Manager (Enterprise)
Loughborough University
T: 01509 223445
E: A.J.Seddon@lboro.ac.uk

Notes for editors:  

1. Zone3 is a ltd business, trade mark brand. 
2. ‘Zone 3’ is a term used by top-level coaches. Zones 1 and 2 are used to describe training paces; Zone3 is racing mode. In Zone3 athletes are focused, powerful, controlled and striving to reach new goals.
3. 2009 will see the launch of Zone3’s  race specific triathlon products, including high performance racing suits and wetsuits.  In 2010, they will release a further range of swimming, cycling and running products, innovatively designed to support training and racing.
4. Biathle is a continuous run-swim-run event. It is run by the Modern Pentathlon association but is not an Olympic event.
5. Aquathlon is a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running.  The aquathlon word championship is run by the International Triathlon Union (ITU).
6. Loughborough Innovation Centre is a purpose designed business incubator for new and growing innovative or technology-based companies.  Seewww.loughborough-innovation.com.
7. Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong links with industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.
   
   It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top fifteen of UK universities in national newspaper league tables.  In the 2008 National Student Survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top five universities in the UK, with 22 out of 30 of its subject areas being ranked in the top ten for overall satisfaction.  It was named winner of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Times Higher award for the UK’s Best Student Experience and winner of the 2007 award for Outstanding Support for Overseas Students.  In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes – an achievement bettered by no other institution.
   
   It is a member of the esteemed 1994 Group – a set of internationally recognised, research-intensive universities – and has a reputation for the relevance of its work. Its degree programmes are highly regarded by professional institutions and businesses, and its graduates are consistently targeted by the UK’s top recruiters.
   
   Loughborough is also the UK’s premier university for sport. It has perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world and is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists and support staff. It also has the country’s largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports.