Lucy Charles Shatters Kona Swim Course Record

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ROKA athlete Lucy Charles rewrote one of the oldest records in triathlon on Saturday at IRONMAN World Championship, swimming through Kailua Bay faster than any female athlete in the 40-year history of the race. Charles' time of 48:14 for the 2.4-mile swim was 38 seconds better than the previous record, which had stood since 1999.

"Obviously my big focus was on the race as a whole, but the swim record was definitely on my mind at the start of the day," Charles said. "I knew it was within reach after last year, and I knew I had the most advanced swimskin and goggles in the world."

For her record-breaking performance, Charles chose the Viper X swimskin, which includes ROKA's patent-pending IXItm support taping to provide strategic support, enhanced connection and power, all without restricting breathing or adding drag to the ultrafast, hydrophobic suit. She paired the Viper X with ROKA's award-winning R1 goggles with patented RAPIDSIGHTtm technology. RAPIDSIGHT radically expands athletes' forward field of vision while in the head-down swimming position, so that targets can be sighted with less disruption to form and mechanics. Lucy opted for the Dark Amber Mirror tint to shield her eyes from the rising sun.

"When you're out there by yourself, vision is everything," Charles said. "At the front, you don't have the luxury of following someone's feet, but the razor sharp optics of the R1s allowed me to navigate my own way around Kailua Bay."

ROKA R1 goggles are the most advanced open-water goggles ever created. Delivering razor-sharp optics in 12 different lens tints to handle any conditions, R1s are the only goggles in the world to feature ROKA's patented retroscopic lenses, making it faster and easier to sight than ever before. Every second matters when you're trying to set new standards, and the R1 gives ROKA athletes the ultimate edge in open water.

"Saturday was a huge day for ROKA," says CEO and Co-founder Rob Canales. "Our mission when we started was to develop the fastest and most advanced equipment and optics the world has ever seen, and Lucy helped us recognize that dream. She pushes boundaries and sets new standards every time she races, and we're inspired by her to do the same in everything we design."

In addition to setting a new swim course record, Charles' second-place time of 8:36:34 ranks as the second-fastest time in the 40-year history of the race.

To find out more about the ROKA R1 Goggle and Viper X Swimskin, visit roka.com, in Europe, visit eu.roka.com and uk.roka.com.

SOURCE ROKA Sports Inc.