Nike dropped its lawsuit against Boris Berian, , a top contender for the U.S. Olympic Team in the 800 meters, with the move coming just a week before the start of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. As reported, Nike Inc. sued to prevent Berian from wearing New Balance merchandise at upcoming high-profile events in a contract dispute.
In its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland in March, Nike at the time argued Berian would be violating his endorsement contract. Nike claimed it had a right to match any offers after the deal expired and that it had matched New Balance’s offer
On Wednesday, federal judge Marco A. Hernandez was expected to issue a ruling but delayed it another week, a decision that would have interfered with the Olympic Trials in Eugene.
“Nike legitimately exercised its right to match the New Balance offer, and we believe we would prove this at trial. It is important that agreements endorsers, endorsees and agents sign together are appropriately upheld,” Nike said Thursday in a statement. “As a running company, we also recognize that this is a significant time for Boris, and in light of the judge’s decision to delay the ruling until June 28, the eve of the Olympic Trials, we decided to eliminate this distraction for Boris.”
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news.
