It’s hard to imagine how the Sochi Games could be going worse for Under Armour. The sports apparel company spent untold hours developing a high-tech aerodynamic racing suit for the U.S. speedskating team, betting it would push an already strong group of skaters—four-time Olympic medalist Shani Davis, 1000-meter world record holder Brittany Bowe, and more—to glorious victory. Instead, no U.S. skater has medaled. And it’s not just that the Under Armour suit hasn’t provided an edge—the skaters now seem to be blaming the suit for holding them back. Whoops!
Several unnamed sources told Joshua Robinson and Sara Germano of the Wall Street Journal that the suit’s vented design was affecting the skaters’ speed, and that “team members felt they were fighting the suit to maintain correct form.” I don’t know much about speedskating, but I do know that you’re not supposed to be fighting your suit. Clearly, the U.S. speedskaters have a big problem on their hands, and their legs, and all of their other body parts.
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Indeed, the only way this will end well for Under Armour is if the U.S. skaters rally and bring home a few medals. "If I was Shani, I'd talk to Under Armour and I'd see if I could use my Nike [suit] and put an Under Armour sticker on it,” a former Olympic skater told the Journal. At this point, Under Armour would probably be OK with that plan.
