No Last Minute Russian Additions to Olympics

(ATR) Court of Arbitration for Sport dismisses appeals against the IOC by 47 Russian athletes and coaches. 

Guardar

(ATR) There will be no additional members of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at the PyeongChang Winter Games.

In a decision that came just hours before the opening ceremony, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced to a packed press conference in PyeongChang on Friday that two separate applications filed by a total of 45 Russian athletes and two coaches had both been dismissed.

The Russians challenged the IOC decision refusing to invite them to participate in the 2018 Olympics and requested CAS overturn the IOC decision. The IOC had refused them entry because the two commissions set up to determine their eligibility ruled they had failed to pass required doping protocols. At the hearing, the Russians acknowledged that the IOC had the ability to institute such process.

In its dismissal of the cases, the three-person CAS panel found that the Russians "did not demonstrate that the manner in which the two special commissions (the Invitation Review Panel (IRP) and the Olympic Athlete from Russia Implementation Group (OAR IG) independently evaluated the Applicants was carried out in a discriminatory, arbitrary or unfair manner," according to CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb, reading from a prepared statement.

"The panel also concluded that there was no evidence the IRP or the OAR IG improperly exercised their discretion."

After reading the statement, Reeb immediately walked off the stage and did not take any questions from reporters.

The decision of the panel, which consisted of Carol Roberts of Canada, Bernhard Welten of Switzerland and Zali Steggall of Australia, followed two days of hearings from both parties in the offices of the CAS ad hoc division in Pyeongchang on February 7-8.

Earlier this week, the IOC revealed at their Session that all but one of the 169 Russians invited to participate under the neutral OAR banner would be in PyeongChang. Speed skater Olga Graf, who won two bronze medals in Sochi 2014, announced on social media on Jan. 30 that she would not be competing because she no longer had a chance to medal. Half of her teammates in the team pursuit event were excluded from the Games.

CAS had already ruled on Thursday that it could not consider two other cases totaling 13 more Russian athletes and coaches, saying it "lacked jurisdiction" to deal with their applications.

Written and reported by Gerard Farekin PyeongChang

For general comments or questions,click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.

Guardar

Últimas Noticias

Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore

Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation chief of sport development Luke Bodensteiner says there is a “real urgency to make this happen in 2030”. He discusses the mission of the non-profit organization, the legacy from the 2002 Winter Games and future ambitions.
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore

IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing

Thomas Bach, in an open letter on Friday, also thanked stakeholders for their “unprecedented” efforts to make Tokyo 2020 a success despite the pandemic.
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing

Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts

The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts

IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power

Thomas Bach says the Afghanistan NOC remains under IOC recognition, noting that the current leadership was democratically elected in 2019. But he says the IOC will be monitoring what happens in the future. The story had been revealed on August 31 in an article by Miguel Hernandez in Around the Rings
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power

North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022

Playbooks for Beijing 2022 will ”most likely” be released in October, according to IOC President Thomas Bach.
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022