US National Ironman Champion Ready to Defend Title

May 25, 2004 – Orlando, Fla.— Chris Lieto, defending US National Ironman Champion, came to Orlando with one purpose: test his conditioning and form in preparation to defend his title in July. With a second place finish in a strong field, Lieto exceeded his expectations. “This was only my third race of the season, so it was really important for me to do well. I’m right where I want to be at this point. I proved to myself that my training and nutrition are paying off,” said Lieto, who finished the 2004 Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon at Walt Disney World resort in 03:54:19.

A former collegiate water polo player, Lieto is known throughout the sport as a top swimmer, and he showed his speed once again slicing through the 1.2mile swim in extremely warm Florida waters in just 25:42. “I was really happy with my swim. The warm water was a concern for all of us. The tempo slowed down just a bit so that we wouldn’t overheat in the water,” commented Lieto.

Once out of the water, Lieto unleashed his powerful cadence on the bike. He quickly roped in Simon Lessing and charged after the Swedish uber biker Bjorn Andersson. With a bike split of 2:07:01 (averaging 26.5 mph), Lieto appears to be back on form as one of the most dominant riders in the professional ranks. “I finally felt good on the bike. I have been spending more of my training time riding my Trek time trial, which has allowed my body to adapt to a more aggressive position and it’s paying off,” said Lieto.

Lieto has worked hard to improve his run during the past year. “It doesn’t matter how good you are in the swim or the bike; if you don’t have a strong run, you can’t win,” said Lieto. Averaging a 6:03 mile over the 13.1 mile course, Lieto was able to hold off the hard press of Cameron Brown and Andersson to finish 2nd. “The last 2 miles of the run were all on sand, which can really take its toll on your legs. This run course is definitely not a walk in the park,” said Lieto.

Before heading to Lake Placid in July, Lieto will head to Idaho to race Ironman Coeur d’ Alene in June. Lieto still has his sights firmly set on defending his National Ironman Champion title at Lake Placid. “It means a lot to me to go back to Lake Placid and defend my title. I take great pride in being the current U.S. Champion,” said Lieto.

Next on the schedule for Lieto is the San Francisco Classic—Escape from Alcatraz on June 6.

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About Chris Lieto:
Chris began is triathlon career winning his first race as an age-grouper, and turned pro less than three years later. His record includes winning Ironman Wisconsin 2002, Half-Vineman 2002, Nautica Malibu Triathlon 2003, and was ranked #5 in the world in 2003 by Inside Triathlon Magazine. Chris, his wife Karis and son Kaiden reside in Danville, California.
www.chrislieto.com

About Katalyst Multisport Management:
Founded on the most basic principals of integrity, experience and creativity, Katalyst is committed to extending the reach and influence of the multisport lifestyle.
www.katalystmultisport.com

For more information please contact:
Chris McCrary
Katalyst Multisport Management
(415) 215-3412