After failing to qualify, Vendt sues swimsuit maker
Former Member
sports.espn.go.com/.../story
Less than a week after failing to qualify for an individual event at the U.S. swimming trials, Olympian Erik Vendt filed a countersuit Thursday against a California company that claims he broke his contract by choosing to wear a rival swimsuit.
Vendt made his own breach-of-contract claims against TYR Sport in the federal lawsuit filed in California. He also sued the company for slander, alleging that comments made by its attorney, Larry Hilton, have cost the swimmer other endorsement deals.
TYR went to federal court in May with an antitrust case that claims USA Swimming has been working with Speedo to ensure all Americans wear that company's LZR Racer suit at the Beijing Olympics, even if they have deals with other companies such as TYR.
Also named in the suit were U.S. head coach and general manager Mark Schubert, who has openly touted the benefits of the Speedo suit while also working as a paid spokesman for the company, and Vendt, who had an endorsement deal with TYR but switched to the LZR Racer this year.
It's interesting they would have wording like this in the contract. Seems like a serious loophole. Now I guess it's up to TYR and Vendt to prove their side. In my opinion Vendt might have a tough road consdering swimmers were successful at Trials using the TYR Tracer Rise suit. Grevers and Shanteau, for example, both wore TYR suits at Trials and made the team.
I believe the suit is for libel and slander ... and that TYR dragging him through the mud is why he has not gotten more sponsors. I was surprised to hear he didn't sign with Speedo, but perhaps since Speedo has a rather full house and figured Vendt would be wearing their stuff regardless they figured why bother ... who knows.
It's interesting they would have wording like this in the contract. Seems like a serious loophole. Now I guess it's up to TYR and Vendt to prove their side. In my opinion Vendt might have a tough road consdering swimmers were successful at Trials using the TYR Tracer Rise suit. Grevers and Shanteau, for example, both wore TYR suits at Trials and made the team.
I believe the suit is for libel and slander ... and that TYR dragging him through the mud is why he has not gotten more sponsors. I was surprised to hear he didn't sign with Speedo, but perhaps since Speedo has a rather full house and figured Vendt would be wearing their stuff regardless they figured why bother ... who knows.
