New signings 2010...

US Olympic triathlete Laura Bennett and Australian triathlete Stephen Hackett to ride Jamis bikes...

Northvale, NJ (January 19, 2010) -- Jamis Bicycles has added two triathletes to its roster of professional athletes. Former US Olympian Laura Bennett and Stephen Hackett of Australia have signed with Jamis for the 2010 season. Jamis President Carine Joannou made the announcement.

“We are pleased to welcome Laura and Steve to Team Jamis,” said Joannou. “We’ve supported triathlete teams at the elite level for many years and are excited about putting our bikes to the test at the highest levels of the sport.”

A four-time medalist at the World Triathlon Championships, Bennett was the top American in the triathlon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with a fourth place finish. Her achievements at the international level also include 11 World Cup medals and 28 Top 10 finishes.

In the US, Bennett won the prestigious Hy-Vee Triathlon ITU Des Moines World Cup in 2007, for which USA Triathlon honored her as Female Triathlete of the Year for the second year in a row. In 2009, Bennett captured her first 70.3 event (named for the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run), clinching the Ironman 70.3 in Augusta, GA in September. Highlights of last year also include first place finishes in the classic and Olympic distances at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon and a fifth place finish at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, FL.

Bennett will open the 2010 season with World Series events in Australia. In April, she will return to the US for a full schedule of competition, starting with the Olympic distance St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL.

Like Bennett, an eight-time All-American swimmer at Southern Methodist University, Hackett started out as a competitive swimmer before pursuing cross-country running in his native Australia. Until recently, Hackett divided his time between construction work and triathlon training, achieving numerous top 10 results along the way. In 2006, Hackett finished third in the Los Angeles Triathlon behind fellow Aussies Greg Bennett (husband of Laura) and Craig Alexander. In 2008, he won the Memphis in May triathlon and last year distinguished himself with top five finishes at the Ironman 70.3 Kansas and Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3.

Now 27, Hackett is committed to training full-time under the guidance of Craig Alexander, himself a two-time World Champion. Hackett plans to specialize in the 70.3 format. His racing schedule for 2010 includes many of the major events in the Ironman 70.3 series, including the season-opening Ironman 70.3 Geelong in Australia.

In competition, Bennett and Hackett will be racing on Jamis Xenith T2 triathlon bikes. The ultra-aero bikes have been re-designed for 2010 to include a contoured seat tube for enhanced aerodynamics and improved power transfer and feature Jamis’ revolutionary Windshield fork that reduces aerodynamic drag by up to 10%.