Vonn is Under Armour's longest-standing athlete endorser, signing with the brand when she was 16GETTY IMAGES
Lindsey Vonn has announced her retirement from competitive skiing following this week's FIS World Championships, but she “won’t disappear from Under Armour’s roster of athletes anytime soon,” according to Lorraine Mirabella of the BALTIMORE SUN. Vonn has been one of UA’s “most visible faces" and is the brand's “longest standing athlete endorser, having signed with the brand at age 16.” UA Senior VP/Global Communication & Entertainment Diane Pelkey said Vonn and the brand “have some special things planned” moving forward. Mirabella noted Vonn’s many setbacks were at the "heart of the Under Armour Unlike Any women’s campaign she starred in last year, which included a short film" released just days before the '18 Pyeongchang Games (BALTIMORE SUN, 2/2).
LEAVING A LEGACY: OUTSIDE magazine’s Gordy Megroz wrote Vonn has “made more people care about ski racing and part of that is due to her celebrity.” Megroz: “It’s fairly safe to say that no ski racer has ever been as famous as Vonn, and her walks down the red carpet at major events like the Oscars, photo spreads in magazines like Sports Illustrated and Vogue, and high-profile relationships, helped bring more fans to an otherwise niche sport” (OUTSIDEONLINE.com, 2/1). The AP’s Graham & Dampf noted Vonn’s off-the-slopes portfolio includes “earning sponsorship deals with companies such as Red Bull, meeting actors like Dwayne Johnson and even being an extra on one of her favorite shows, ‘Law & Order.’” The spotlight “only increased" with her dating the likes of Tiger Woods and Predators D P.K. Subban (AP, 2/1).
