Monday, August 08, 2011

News: Two Malaysians wins the opportunity to meet Usain Bolt in Korea this August PUMA FAAS TEST CHALLENGE

Narendran A/L Shanmuganathan and Chong Su Zzen emerged as winners of the PUMA FAAS TEST CHALLENGE in search of the fastest man and woman athlete in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA; August 6 2011 – Narendran A/L Shanmuganathan and Chong Su Zzen today emerged as the champions of the PUMA FAAS TEST Challenge, a nationwide search for the fastest man and woman athlete who will stand a chance to meet with the world's fastest man: Usain Bolt.

Both Narendran and Su Zzen won RM500 PUMA vouchers plus a three day two night trip to Korea to meet with Usain Bolt on the 20th August 2011 as well as represent Malaysia as they compete with other countries in Asia Pacific at the finale for the title of the fastest man and woman in the Asia Pacific PUMA FAAS TEST CHALLENGE.

“I'm very very excited. It's always been my dream to meet Usain Bolt, and Puma has helped make this dream come true.“ Said Narendran.

Su Zzen said “It's really unexpected. So yeah, thanks to Puma, I've not only won a trip to Korea, but I‟m on my way to meet my idol Usain Bolt.”

In second and third place are You Kwok Wing and Nuriman Syahril for the men, and Ng Sue Lin and Tan Yan Ee for the women, they each won RM300 and RM200 worth of PUMA product vouchers.

The PUMA FAAS TEST Challenge Road Shows kicked of in July covering Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru in search of the fastest male and female to represent Malaysia in this challenge by the PUMA Running –FAAS Range

The Faas line is inspired by Usain Bolt – one of the world‟s fastest men – and the Jamaican culture of producing world class runners who do it with speed and style. The Faas range features bright, bold colors with unique overlays and design details for each style. PUMA Running‟s new Faas Range brings the joy back into running with increased speed and performance, along with some „check-me-out‟ designs.

The Faas Range gets its name from the Jamaican word for fast, and the name fits. The Faas Range is grounded in performance and features a biomechanical design technology exclusive to PUMA, called BioRide, that provides a naturally responsive ride – helping runners get into their own rhythm for increased speed and performance.

Inspired by the learnings from PUMA‟s long association with Bolt and research into movement, foot placement and the overall running skills of the world‟s best runners - the collection is placed in three distinct variants: ROCKER, FLEX and GROOVE.

FAAS ROCKER – For the most demanding of stylistas and runners alike, the Faas Rocker line offers a smooth touchdown and effortless toe-off that helps you build and maintain momentum. This helps you get up and going and keeps you moving forward all the time!

FAAS FLEX – For natural foot movement and added responsiveness. The Faas Flex collection encourages the feel of a natural ride through flex grooves that are added throughout the midsole of the trainer. These allow your foot to flex naturally, providing added responsiveness that you don‟t get with traditional running shoes. It also adds that element of style in your gait when you‟re out and about in your Flex!

FAAS GROOVE – For natural stability that responds to your individual biomechanics, An everyday neutral trainer with more cushioning the Faas Groove line is great for tempo runs and races, or as an everyday minimalist trainer and fashion statement.

Why FAAS works

PUMA Running knows every runner is unique and what one runner needs may not be necessary for another.

This has resulted in the brand going on a quest to uncover the secret of why Jamaicans are the fastest sprinters on the planet. The brand is intent on identifying all the elements and ingredients - when blended together – that create a one-of-a-kind speed explosion.

Whether it's Jamaica's climate, the laid-back lifestyle, the food, the music, the dancing or the running, Faaslab is a living laboratory to discover the science behind what makes Jamaicans so fast. And Usain Bolt is the product and the prime specimen of what can emerge from this environment.

Through Faaslab, PUMA examines the possibility of harnessing these essential ingredients, replicating them and packaging them into the Faas product line and the next Usain Bolt.

To help PUMA unlock the mystery of what makes Jamaicans so fast, the sport lifestyle brand enlisted, Alfred 'Frano' Francis. 'Frano' is a person inextricably intertwined with Jamaican Athletics. He authentically embodies all the best of Jamaica, part wise man, part historian, part anthropologist, part visionary, part Rastafarian, part runner. Frano helped PUMA come up with the informal science behind Faas: a little Faas product, some Jamaican culture, and a lot of Bolt!

To help runners find the best Faas style to suit their needs, PUMA has assigned each style a number, ranging from 100 to 1000. The lower number models, such as the Faas 250, have less cushioning and less structure, providing a lightweight, fast-paced trainer. As the number gets higher, additional cushioning and structure is added to the shoe. The higher number shoes, like the Faas 500, are perfect everyday neutral trainers.

So why does FAAS work? First, the best runners reduce their amount of time on the ground, making for faster runs and faster times. The Faas Range incorporates a continuous, rocker-shape outsole that provides smooth touchdown and effortless transition, providing runners with a natural ride and less time on the ground.

Second, they do not waste motion. 360 degree flex grooves are placed in key areas throughout the Faas shoes; these flex grooves respond specifically to how the runner‟s foot moves, providing a truly unique and responsive ride.

Lastly, these world-renowned athletes are incredibly aware of the ground, which allows the foot to react instinctively to keep them stable. The Faas shoes have a horizontal groove that runs the lateral side of the shoe. Regardless of how a runner's foot hits the ground, this groove will provide them with natural stability.

For more information, visit www.puma.com/running or www.facebook.com/PumaMalaysia.

Source: Puma Press Release.

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