U.S. Speedskating renews contract with Under Armour

BALTIMORE, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Despite heavy criticism for their Mach 39 skin suits, Under Armour will be extending their partnership with U.S. Speedskating until the 2022 Games.

Under Armour's contract with U.S. Speedskating was set to expire after the Sochi Games, and and the company will continue to provide the team's competition suits until the 2022 Olympic Games, the location of which is yet to be decided.

"It has always been Under Armour's mission to make all athletes better, and we are proud to make our biggest commitment ever to the US Speedskating team by providing these championship competitors with leading innovations and training resources to help them fulfill their dreams on the world's biggest stages," said Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank.

Under Armour was at the center of accusations made by some members of the U.S. Speedskating team, who claimed the Mach 39 skin suits had design flaws, increasing drag and slowing them down. This followed a disastrous performance by the team, all of whom failed to come close to a podium finish, the first U.S. team to fail to win a medal since 1984.

While Under Armour stood by their suits, the team requested to revert back to an older suit, also manufactured by the company. But this didn't seem to help the team as Olympic medals continued to evade them. Athletes once again blamed distractions and uncertainty regarding their suits as the reason for their bad performance.

Officials did have doubts as to whether this controversy would lead to any future partnerships with Under Armour.

"We were not that optimistic, to be honest," U.S. Speedskating executive director Ted Morris said. "When you look at how things transpired, it's tough to imagine any company saying, 'We want to stick with these guys.' From our standpoint, that was hard to fathom."

"The length and scope of this agreement send a strong signal about Under Armour's commitment to our athletes and will best position them to skate with confidence and a competitive edge well into the future," said Mike Plant, President, U.S. Speedskating.

Apart from the U.S. Speedskating team, Under Armour has contracts with the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and USA Gymnastics, as well as the Canadian snowboarding team.

[Under Armour] [WSJ]