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To mark the beginning of the 2008 Games, which will begin in Beijing, China on August 8, Suunto has presented a limited edition "Suunto t6c Red Arrow Ambassador" heart rate monitor to its Ambassadors who are competing at the Games.
A total of 83 international athletes and coaches, who Suunto sponsors and supports throughout the year, will receive a Red Arrow Ambassador, individually engraved with their own personal inscription, as a mark of gratitude for helping make Suunto one of the premier sports instruments firms in the world.
The Red Arrow Ambassador has to be earned by outstanding performances and commitment and will not be for sale. It comes in a striking red design and is based on the popular Suunto t6c, a favourite among athletes for its comprehensive training-based functions.
"It's a great way to celebrate the Ambassadors' achievements," says Sports Marketing Europe Manager Markus Rampf. "They have put in huge efforts to reach the pinnacle of their respective sports and we are proud to have been with them along the way."
Suunto is no stranger to success at the highest level. Having entered the training and heart-rate monitor market just four years ago with the high-end Suunto t6 model, the company's products quickly became the primary choice for athletes seeking precision, reliability and in-depth software analysis.
At the 2006 Turin Winter Games, Suunto users brought home a total of 11 gold medals, 13 silver and 10 bronze, more than Germany who topped the overall medal table.
"This was a great sign, showing us that we are on the right track with our innovative heart-rate monitors," says Rampf.
The watch boasts all the functions necessary for success, such as heart rate, speed and distance for all sports, and analysis of seven body parameters, such as Training Effect and Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) measurement, to sports laboratory accuracy.
Elite triathletes Kate Allen (AUT) and Daniel Unger (GER) are among those to receive the watch, and have used Suunto products during their training and racing build-up to monitor their progress.
Allen, the defending Olympic Champion who produced a remarkable comeback after a big crash in April to qualify for the Austrian Olympic team, has spent much of July training at altitude in the French Alps. Recording EPOC and Training Effect values at this height was vital to ensure she acclimatised properly and trained at the correct intensity.
Unger has had a phenomenal year of racing since winning the 2007 World Championships. He won two rounds of the ITU World Cup, but has spent the majority of the season preparing specifically for the Games.
"I really love Suunto because of its enormous versatility," Unger says. "I get precise information on my heart rate in combination with altitude, and speed and distance for running and cycling."
Another Suunto Ambassador is Reto Hug (SWI), who finished a terrific third at the ITU World Triathlon Championships, is an outside favourite for the men's race in Beijing and uses Suunto Foot and Road Bike PODs to cover all aspects of his swimming, running and cycling training.
"It is an all in one tool for every situation," says Hug. "It doesn't matter if I'm out running, biking or any other sport, it will always be with me and I can always rely on it."
As well as triathletes, Red Arrow Ambassador recipients come from a variety of sports and countries. Israeli windsurfer Shahar Zubari uses a Suunto GPS POD coupled with his Red Arrow Ambassador, while Croatian sailors Marin Lovrović and Siniša Mikuličić, multi-world champion Marit van Eupen (NED) and the German '8er' rowing team are also water-based athletes and long-time Suunto fans.
Big favourite for the mountain bike race is Sweden's Fredrik Kessiakof (SWE) who will face competition from another Ambassador, Bart Brentjens a nine-time Dutch national champion and Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist.
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