Under Armour signs 8-year deal with US speedskating despite flap over suit

BALTIMORE – Athletic gear maker Under Armour has signed an eight-year deal with with U.S. Speedskating to provide uniforms despite controversy over the suit it provided the team at the Sochi Olympics.

Under Armour spent years developing a new speedskating suit that debuted during the Olympics but flopped. U.S. speedskaters, including favourite Shani Davis, didn’t medal, and some blamed the suit. The team reverted to an older Under Armour suit, but results did not improve.

But Under Armour says it is ready to try again. The company will outfit the U.S. speedskating team for the next two Winter Olympics, beginning with South Korea in 2018.

Company CEO and founder Kevin Plank said in an interview with CNBC that Under Armour was “doubling down” and hoped to move past the Sochi controversy.