Athletes from the new Super League Triathlon used technology race suits which its maker claims enabled the triathletes to swim, run and bike faster.
The Super League Jersey Island, which took place last week, saw Swiss company HeiQ sponsor and provide triathlon suits for 11 athletes who entered the corporate relay to support the MaccaNow Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded by the Australian two-times Ironman Champion Chris “Macca” McCormack.
HeiQ created its suits in partnership with Taiana, an Italian company which specializes in designing technical fabric and Regna, a sports apparel firm. The stretch fabric from Taiana allows for what HeiQ calls “extreme ratio” between weight and compression, combined with a finishing substance from HeiQ which is added to the product to enable quick drying for athletes. For this event, the company partnered with Regna to tailor the fabric to each athlete’s body.
During triathlons, athletes are slowed down by exterior forces, like water, which is referred to as “drag,” which in effect push against a swimmer’s motion. HeiQ says that drag is reduced because of the unique surface structure its fabric has at a microscopic level, meaning athletes can be faster than previously possible, while also remaining dry. In addition to this, the finish applied to the fabric aims to reduce friction to minimize chafing and potential injuries.
Richard Frickleton, who is a member of the MaccaNow relay team who took part in the event, said in a statement: “I was running flat out, sweating heavily, but I didn’t feel cold when the wind blew. The suit transported the sweat away from me, I felt dry.”
HeiQ recently celebrated its 10th year in business and was founded by Carlo Centonze and Murray Height, who came up with the idea for the company during a hiking trip in the Swiss Alps. At the time, Height, was researching at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology for a better solution for minimizing odors in clothing.
Since its foundation, the firm, based in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland, has also diversified into a range of different areas outside of sport, including a fluorine-free water repellent product and a solution to protect beaches from oil spills.