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Challenge Wanaka today announced Kia Motors as the event's official vehicle supplier, providing the iron distance triathlon with a fleet of vehicles and building on Kia's support of New Zealand's world-class multisport events.

Todd McDonald, general manager of Kia Motors New Zealand Ltd, said, "This partnership is about supporting a sport and lifestyle that is embraced by New Zealanders while reinforcing the passion and competition that makes up the DNA of Kia Motors. This relationship continues our international strategy to focus on extreme performance and with our support of New Zealanders participating locally at world-class levels.

"One of New Zealand's top performers in this field is Richard Ussher, who has already confirmed his entry and we feel his involvement reinforces our participation in this event."

Challenge Wanaka race director, Victoria Murray-Orr, said getting the support of major international brand Kia Motors reinforced Challenge Wanaka's continued growth on the international triathlon scene.

"Challenge Wanaka may be the latest addition to the circuit but when a respected company such as Kia Motors believes in it as much as we do, then you know the event is making its mark. Kia vehicles fit well into the mindset of Challenge Wanaka, particularly the 4x4 Sorento that can take on anything, just like the athletes."

Challenge Wanaka today announced world champion adventure racer, Richard Ussher will compete at Challenge Wanaka taking on New Zealand's toughest iron distance course on January 17, 2009.

Ussher has amassed an impressive resume of achievements, both as part of the former New Zealand team, Seagate/Balance Vector, and on an individual basis including World Adventure Racing Champion in 2005 and 2006. He has also won the Speights Coast to Coast Word Multisport Championships in 2005, 2006 and in 2008 and has dominated the national scene in New Zealand.

Further highlighting his ability as an athlete, Ussher also represented New Zealand at the Olympics, competing in the men's ski moguls event at the 1998 Winter Games and a decade later he has added the most grueling form of triathlon to his repertoire.

"I like to try new events and continually challenge myself on different courses against different people. Having raced in Taupo this year the obvious goal for me was to try the other iron distance event in the country," he said. "Wanaka and the Southern Lakes area is also a pretty special place for me, it is where I lived for a number of years while ski training. The main attraction though is to race on such a stunning course in an area I love, and to experience Challenge Wanaka for the first time with many others passionate about endurance sport."

Ussher joins a strong line up of top international and New Zealand professional athletes that will include defending champions, Marc Pschebizin (GER) and New Zealand's fastest female iron distance athlete, Gina Ferguson who recently won third at the world's largest iron distance race, Quelle Challenge Roth in Germany.