Ironman.Sportsline.Com Website Debuts
CYBERSPACE, Planet Earth -- Just in time for the 20th Ironman Triathlon World Championship on Oct. 26, Ironman's official website has debuted at http://ironman.sportsline.com. The site is a joint production of the World Triathlon Corporation and SportsLine USA, the premier online service devoted exclusively to sports information, entertainment and merchandise.
For sports fans, ironman.sportsline.com will complement other Ironman media coverage, including NBC's broadcast of the event, by providing the most in-depth Ironman information and background ever found in one place. Additionally, media will find the site a helpful resource for press releases, background information, athlete quotes and race results.
The site utilizes Macromedia's Shockwave to offer an animated tour of the Kona race course. It's also among vanguard sites that include built-in sound effects. On the site's 3-D map of the island of Hawaii, a java script rotates images that simulate and correspond to the time of day on the island.
During race week, look for live chat sessions with notables such as six-time Ironman champion Mark Allen; daily diaries from contenders Greg Welch and Wendy Ingraham; and coverage of press conferences.
On race day, ironman.sportsline.com will offer real-time coverage, including finish times of every contestant as they complete the swim, bike and run. Race reports and photos will begin one-half hour before the 7 a.m. Hawaii Time (1 p.m. ET) race start and continue for the next nine hours until the first man and woman cross the finish line.
Founded in 1978, the Ironman Triathlon World Championship is held annually in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-mile marathon. More than 20,000 athletes annually enter qualifying races in pursuit of one of the championship's 1,500 race spots.
The Ironman Triathlon trademark is owned by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), a Tampa Bay, Florida-based company. WTC focuses on producing the championship and administration of the qualifying system.
WTC's Ironman Properties division handles Ironman Triathlon brand development and promotion. Ironman brand products include the world's best-selling watches, both part of the Timex Ironman watch line; the new Reebok Ironman TR, the first of several running shoes and sandals that Reebok will introduce under the Ironman name; Huffy Bicycles' Ironman Triathlon All-Terrain Bike line; and the Ironman Triathlon Nutrition Bar by P.R. Nutrition.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., SportsLine USA was founded by technology veteran Michael Levy in February 1994. SportsLine USA features more than 70,000 pages of multimedia sports information, entertainment and merchandise covering all sports. The SportsLine service is available on the World Wide Web through commercial online services or through direct Internet access at http://www.sportsline.com.
For more information contact: Rob Perry (813) 942-4767 Bret Werner (212) 714-1280