Russian athletes appeal to CAS for Olympic invites
February 6, 2018
Among the 32 Russians to file appeals on Tuesday were six-time Olympic gold medallist Viktor Ahn, world cross-country skiing champion Sergei Ustyugov and world biathlete champion Anton Shipulin,
The athletes were not invited to compete at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang after failing to pass a vetting process put in place by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to screen Russians in light of suspicious doping practices at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Hearing to be held on Wednesday
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said it expected its ad-hoc division to hold a hearing on the matter on Wednesday, two days before the Games are due to open. As decision is expected to be announced shortly afterwards.
The IOC has invited 169 Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag in South Korea, following the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee over evidence of state-sponsored doping.
Separately, 28 Russians have had Olympic life bans in connection with doping practices overturned by the CAS. The Lausanne-based tribunal reduced the bans of 11 other Russians to just the February 9-25 Games.
On Sunday, the IOC turned down a Russian request to allow 13 athletes and two coaches, who were among the 28 to have their bans lifted, to take part in the Games.
Russian athletes are to compete under a neutral flag in Pyeongchang and will be known as "Olympic Athletes from Russia."
pfd/mf (dpa, AP)