The fastest American Ironman triathlete and XTERRA WETSUITS Pro Team member Chris Lieto graces the cover of the May 2010 issue of Competitor Magazine in his Vector Pro X2 triathlon wetsuit.

Lieto has had a successful start to the 2010 season. He placed second at Miami International on March 14 in 1:48:00, where he broke his own bike course record by one minute after feeling strong and relaxed after the swim. On April 11, Lieto placed second again, in a photo finish to Chris McCormack, at the Nautica South Beach Classic in 1:15:11. On April 25 he placed third at Ironman Texas 70.3 in 3:50:35 and on May 9 he placed third again at the Rev3 Knoxville Olympic.

Featured in this same issue of Competitor is a review of our Volt triathlon wetsuit:

XTERRA VOLT – DEAL OF THE DECADE

Just like a race outfit, a wetsuit has to be tight. Water can flush through a loose suit, which reduces buoyancy and chills the swimmer. An imprecisely cut wetsuit may feel comfortable on land but will be slow and cold in the water. The time and materials required to produce a well-fitting entry-level suit usually push the cost upwards of $200. XTERRA reduced the price by constructing the Volt from three-millimeter thick Hyper-Flex GKA neoprene, rather than five-millimeter Yamamoto neoprene, which is used for most other suits. This downgrade in material reduces the suit’s buoyancy and is the only substantial difference between the Volt and $250 sleeveless wetsuits.

The Volt is a phenomenal value because it fits like a top-shelf wetsuit but costs less that a race entry. The chest and hip panels firmly grip the swimmer without restricting breathing. Many sleeveless suits allow water into the body through the neck and armholes, but XTERRA seals these openings by extending the exposed neoprene into the body of the suit. Although the Volt lacks technical innovations, the precise fit makes it a truly race-worthy suit at an untouchable price-point. $99, www.xterrawetsuits.com

Click here to view the article as it appeared in Competitor.