Olympic silver medalist Erik Vendt, who will also be a part of Team USA in Beijing next month, has filed a countersuit against TYR sports, which had filed a breach of contract claim against him for switching to Speedo's record-breaking LZR Racer swimsuit.

In his filing, Vendt stated that his contract with TYR allowed him to wear competitive apparel if that which was provided by TYR was not of equal quality, according to a report in the Associated Press. Vendt stated that he conducted his own testing and concluded the latest Speedo suit at the time, the FS Pro, was a superior technology and he elected to wear it. TYR responded by canceling its deal with Vendt.

In 2007, Vendt became concerned about the quality of the competition swimsuits provided to him by TYR,” the lawsuit says. “In particular, the TYR swimsuits cut Vendt's back and tore at the seams and zipper.”

Vendt also sued TYR for slander. The suit claims comments made by TYR's lawyer, Larry Hilton, has resulted in financial damages by way of losing potential endorsement opportunities. Vendt's counterclaim is asking for damages that include the remaining pay of his contract, which was valued at $80,000 annually.

As reported, 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.