DESSO Airmaster(R) at KIA Speed Skating Academy in Inzell, Germany

WAALWIJK, The Netherlands, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Desso has sponsored the KIA Speed Skating Academy in Inzell, Germany. The academy has been set up by Dutch speed skating enthusiast Marnix Wieberdink to ensure that promising skaters - who lack sufficient training facilities in their own countries - can be coached at World class level. The building, which was once a hospital, is located at close proximity to the Max Aicher Arena, the new ice rink. The hospital has since been completely renovated to feature state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge furnishings in order to promote optimal living conditions for top athletes. DESSO AirMaster(R) has been installed in all of the bedrooms to provide the best possible indoor air quality for them during the demanding and intensive training program they undergo during their stay.

The opening of the academy coincided with the 2011 speed skating World Single Distance Championships, where Dutch star Ireen Wust won a gold medal in the 1500 metres and Canadian Christine Nesbitt won a gold medal in the 1,000 metres. Inzell is expected to become the 'speed skating Mecca' due to the state of the art Max Aicher Arena, a reputation now reinforced with Wieberdink's KIA Speed Skating Academy.

Desso has been promoting the importance of indoor air quality since the launch of DESSO AirMaster(R) in 2010. This was initially within environments that have been demonstrated as a cause for concern, such as schools and offices where people often spend at least 8 hrs a day indoors. However, with this latest installation at the KIA Speed Skating Academy, Desso is taking the standard of indoor air quality a step further. The town of Inzell is already renowned for it's clean-air and healthy environment, and Wieberdink was delighted to be able to optimize this healthy atmosphere even further with the innovative DESSO AirMaster(R) at his academy: "It was a logical choice for us to select DESSO AirMaster(R) for the bedrooms at our Academy," says Wieberdink. "We are teaching these speed skaters how to reach their maximum performance level, and a top physical condition is essential. Sleeping in bedrooms with DESSO AirMaster(R) installed, resulting in a healthy environment with 8 times lower fine dust concentration than with hard flooring, ensures that our skaters can stay as fit and healthy as possible throughout this intensive training program."

The academy was initiated with the intention to raise the level of international speed skating and therefore help otherwise underprivileged speed skaters to reach their optimal potential at World Class level. This is primarily for athletes who lack sufficient speed skating facilities in their home countries. They will be given expert training and tuition from top coaches such as World Record holder Jeremy Wotherspoon, and will also be taught the essential lifestyle changes that a top speed skater needs to implement in order to ensure optimal physical performance. This includes learning how to train, eat, relax and sleep, and all in the most healthy environment possible. DESSO AirMaster(R), with its innovative, award winning, patented technology, results in 8 times lower fine dust concentration in the air compared to hard flooring and is therefore installed in all bedrooms at the academy.

Alexander Collot d'Escury is pleased with the development: "With the installation of DESSO AirMaster(R) at the KIA Speed Skating Academy in an environment such as that in Inzell, we're reaching new, optimal levels in indoor air quality. Furthermore, the fact that experts such as Marnix Wieberdink are recognizing the impact that our indoor surroundings can have on our health and wellbeing is fantastic, and we are pleased to be able to support the next generation of World class speed skaters during their development in Inzell."

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