Under Armour Keeps Young Athletes Cool in the Heat of Madrid
Under Armour HeatGear® Baselayer has been a staple in athletes' uniforms since its launch in 1996. To highlight the key performance features of the latest iteration, UA organized the 'Power Through Pressure' challenge in Madrid, Spain. Held at Madrid City Football Academy, the experience brought together football creators, media, performance specialists, and Under Armour athlete Antonio Rüdiger to showcase the benefits of UA's original performance baselayer.
The 'Power Through Pressure' challenge was designed by Under Armour’s Athlete Performance Consultant Paul Winsper to push the limits of the competitors and the HeatGear® Baselayer. In the heat of Madrid, teams from Spain, Germany, and England faced a series of demanding trials: a grueling bleep test to push participants to a state of extreme fatigue, followed by a three-circuit challenge replicating high-pressure scenarios in a football match. Team England took home the victory over Team Germany in a climactic penalty shoot-out.
Throughout the challenges, HeatGear® ensured that participants remained cool and dry, even under the most intense pressure. Under Armour HeatGear’s® key performance features are:
POWER THROUGH PRESSURE: HeatGear® gives you the edge to put in the hard work and perform for your team under the most intense pressure
LOCKED-IN FIT: It’s all about that second-skin fit—tight to make you feel more powerful and stretchy so you can move
COOL UNDER PRESSURE: HeatGear® keeps you cool by wicking away sweat, drying fast and keeping you feeling light and focused
In attendance at the event and participating in the challenge were a diverse array of football creators from Spain, Germany and England, joined by a few promising young athletes from the UA Next London program, which is dedicated to identifying, training, and nurturing elite athletes of tomorrow.
Real Madrid and Germany defender Rüdiger watched from the sidelines, supporting the contestants and helping them push beyond their limits. Fresh from victory at El Clasico the previous day, Rüdiger emphasized the importance of wearing the right gear to optimize performance under pressure: "When you perform at the highest level you always have to deal with immense pressure, it’s a part of the game. No matter the conditions, you have to deliver. I take that on and welcome it because it makes me better. Technology such as HeatGear® is essential for me; it allows me to perform at my best, with no distractions."
