Tuscaloosa, Alabama —April 22, 2008— With a time of 1:52:15, Matty Reed won the Alabama Olympic Qualifier becoming the second member of the U.S. Triathlon Team that will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games this summer in Beijing, China. Reed now joins Jarrod Shoemaker on the U.S. Triathlon Team.

“It's a dream come true to go to my first Olympics,” said an excited Reed about his victory. “It's the pinnacle of my sporting career. I just put in so much hard work; it's unbelievable to actually achieve the goal.”

Fellow Suunto Ambassador Andy Potts jumped out to a quick lead, leaving the swimming section with a 42 second lead over Hunter Kemper and a 54 second lead over Reed. With one lap to go on the bike stage, Reed made his move which ended up being the turning point of the race. Knowing that both Kemper and Potts would stick to the pack, Reed kicked into overdrive and finished the stage with a 25 second lead heading into the run. That was all Reed needed, securing his win with a time of 31:07 in the run to beat Potts by 20 seconds.

“I win most of my races from the front,” said Matty while discussing his strategy. “I didn’t want to run with them, so I attacked on the bike.”

Matty will be continuing a very unique sibling rivalry this summer. Reed’s older brother Shane is a member of the New Zealand Triathlon Team, pitting brother against brother on the biggest stage in the world.

After fighting off medical issues in recent years, Matty is now healthy and experiencing one of his most successful years as a professional triathlete. Midway through the 2006 season, Reed battled a four month stint with cytomegalovirus sapping his energy. On top of that in 2007, Reed developed a severe case of sport-induced asthma causing VO2 max deficiencies throughout his season. Now virus free and in treatment for his asthma, Reed is ready for his season’s best.

Suunto teammate and 2004 triathlon Olympian Andy Potts will now compete in the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa on June, 22nd for the final spot on the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. With the final roster spot being determined by points and both Potts and Kemper having a second and third place finish each, the race will inevitably be a winner-take-all match for a trip to Beijing.

Elite athletes Matty Reed and Andy Potts both train with the Suunto t6 heart rate monitor, which allows them to train and compete at the highest level. Suunto’s t6 allows its users expert insight into their athletic performance. In addition to the standard features provided by heart rate monitors, the t6 adds a comprehensive physiological analysis on a PC, real-time Training Effect and Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). All three features provide valuable insight into an athlete’s fitness level.

Suunto is a leading designer and manufacturer of sports instruments for diving, mountaineering, training, orienteering, hiking, skiing, sailing and golf. Suunto sports instruments combine the aesthetics and functionality of watches with sport-specific computers that help athletes at all levels analyze and improve their performance. Headquartered in Vantaa, Finland, Suunto employs more than 500 people worldwide and distributes its products to over 80 countries. The company is a subsidiary of Helsinki-based Amer Sports Corporation with sister brands Wilson, Atomic, Salomon, Precor and Mavic.
www.suunto.com