The U.S. District Court in San Francisco has decided in favor of World Aquatics, in cases that had originally been opened in 2018. Two antitrust lawsuits had been filed: one directly by the International Swimming League (ISL) and another by swimmers Tom Shields (USA), Michael Andrew (USA), and Katinka Hosszu (HUN), with ISL’s support.
“World Aquatics is grateful to Judge Corley for her thoughtful and just decision. We are pleased that it brings an end to a period of uncertainty. And we are thankful for the clarity that the Court’s decision provides,” said World Aquatics President Captain Husain Al-Musallam. “This is an important decision and also a good decision, not just for World Aquatics, but for the Olympic Movement and beyond.”
The lawsuits had alleged unreasonable restraint of trade on the part of FINA, as World Aquatics was then known. The Court found that there had been no such action, saying: “The Court acknowledges the record is replete with evidence of FINA’s concern about competition from ISL. But, so what? The antitrust laws do not require one competitor to help another compete with it; instead, they prohibit only unreasonable restraints of trade.”
In granting World Aquatics’ motion for summary judgment, the Court…
 and another by swimmers Tom Shields (USA), Michael Andrew (USA), and Katinka Hosszu (HUN), with ISL’s support. “World Aquatics is grateful to Judge Corley…){kind=link}