U.S. speedskaters abandon high-tech suits

SOCHI, Russia – They were touted as the fastest speedskating suits in the world.

Now the U.S. is dumping the high-tech attire after a dismal start to the Sochi Olympics.

Kevin Haley, vice president of innovation for suit developer Under Armour, told the Associated Press on Friday the Americans had received permission to go back to the suits they used while posting impressive results on the fall World Cup circuit and at the U.S. Olympic trials in December.

The change begins today with the men’s 1,500 meters, when Shani Davis hopes to make up for a disappointing performance in his first race at Sochi. Under Armour was busy altering the logo on the old suits so it conforms with International Olympic Committee regulations.

“We want to put the athletes in the best possible position when they’re stepping on the ice to be 100 percent confident in their ability to capture a spot on the podium,” Haley said by phone from Baltimore.

The change was a stunning reversal after the Americans arrived in Sochi proclaiming they had a suit that would give them a technological edge over rival countries such as the Netherlands.

Instead, the Dutch have dominated through the first six races, winning 12 of a possible 18 medals, including four golds. The Americans have yet to finish higher than seventh; Davis and female stars Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe have all been major disappointments.

While Haley expressed confidence in the new suit, saying all the data proved it should produce faster times, he said the company agreed to the change because a few athletes felt it was actually a drag on their times.

“If they have one less thing to be distracted by,” Haley said, “that should give them a little bit of an advantage.”

The new skinsuits, developed with help from aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin and unveiled just before the Sochi Olympics, had become a major distraction.

Even though several coaches and athletes defended the technology, it was clear that U.S. Speedskating needed to change things up to make sure this didn’t become a total bust of a Winter Games.

“Morale is down right now,” said Joey Mantia, another of the U.S. skaters in the 1,500 meters.

The new suit, known as “Mach 39,” has become a convenient explanation for the American woes, since they were unveiled so late in the game, without giving the skaters a chance to wear them in competition.

Even before the Olympics began, the designer of the Dutch suits expressed skepticism about the American claims. Bert van der Tuuk said he even tested some of the elements used in the U.S. suit – rivets, seams, bumps and a diagonal zipper to cut down on drag – and found they provided no significant edge.

U.S. coach Kip Carpenter said there are plenty of plausible reasons for the U.S. woes beyond the suits.

“The human factor is by far the largest piece out there,” said Carpenter, a former skater and Olympic medalist. “There’s not an athlete out there who is slowing down a second per lap because of the suit they’re in. What is it: a parachute on their back?”

Another U.S. coach, Matt Kooreman, questioned whether the team peaked too soon and became complacent after their impressive World Cup showings.

“Did we lay off the gas after it looked like things were going well?” he said. “I’m sure the Dutch went back home after those North American World Cups and were really in attack mode.”