The controversy surrounding the uniform for the national speed skating teams boiled over into court Monday.
At loggerheads over the uniform selection process are the South Korean firm FILA Korea and the Dutch apparels company Hunter.
The Korea Skating Union recently chose Hunter as its new supplier, after its contract with FILA expired at the end of April.
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These photos provided by FILA Korea on May 17, 2017, show speed skating uniforms by FILA Korea (four images on the left) being compared with products by the Dutch company Hunter in a test. Hunter has been selected by the Korea Skating Union as the national team uniform supplier, but FILA Korea claims its products are superior and is accusing the KSU of an unfair selection process. (Yonhap) |
FILA had been supplying skating uniforms since October 2012.
In protest, FILA released the results of a study last week showing its products were lighter and offered less air resistance.
FILA also said Hunter's uniforms will cost skaters more than a second off their times.
Then on Monday, FILA said it has filed a court injunction against the KSU's uniform supplier selection process, saying the organization has violated the spirit of fair play.
The KSU tested uniforms from three companies -- FILA, Hunter and Mizuno -- on eight speed skaters and short track speed skaters, and seven of those eight preferred Hunter. The KSU has maintained that its selection process has been clean since the athletes themselves picked Hunter.
FILA countered that using the athletes' comfort level with uniforms was highly unreliable and subjective, and since the tests were done behind closed doors, it was difficult to verify their transparency and fairness.
FILA also accused the KSU of limiting the company's rights as the national team corporate sponsor without reasonable grounds, and added the KSU also stripped FILA of an opportunity to enter the proper bidding to remain as a sponsor by making unreasonable demands at the last minute. FILA claimed that the KSU opened the bidding only to the companies that had previous business dealings with Hunter.
Meanwhile, Hunter accused FILA of providing "biased data" and packaging them as facts for South Korean athletes and the public.
"We will not tolerate such defamation using distorted information from unreliable tests," Hunter said through Bravo & New, which holds the Dutch company's local distribution rights.
"Being lighter and having less air resistance don't always equal the best products. We're preparing for a legal step since the malicious acts of disparaging our products violates sportsmanship." (Yonhap)
