CAS denied Russia’s appeal against Olympic suspension

Russia’s Olympic suspension remains in place. Russia’s appeal against the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ban was denied on Friday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) for acknowledging unlawfully acquired areas, a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

RUSSIA OLYMPIC SUSPENSION REMAINS IN PLACE

“The CAS panel in charge of this matter dismissed the appeal and confirmed the challenged decision, finding that the IOC executive board did not breach the principles of legality, equality, predictability or proportionality,” CAS said in its ruling.

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The statement also declared: “The CAS panel’s decision is final and binding except for the parties’ right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds.”

Firstly, on 12 October 2023, the IOC suspended the ROC, one week after it had chosen to admit Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia—regional sports organisations governed by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine as members.

The CAS verdict also pleases the IOC.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman stated that the inclusion of organisations under Ukraine’s NOC charge by ROC “constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

“The IOC EB (executive board) decision has been duly implemented since it was taken,” they also added.

IOC PLEASED WITH CAS RULING

In response, the ROC accused the IOC of making “yet another counterproductive, politically motivated decision” at the time of its suspension.

On 6 November, the ROC filed an appeal of the suspension with the top sporting tribunal, the CAS.

Later in December, the IOC cleared athletes from Belarus and Russia in the current Paris Games, except team competitions, provided that they would not support the conflict in Ukraine.

Only eight athletes from Russia and three from Belarus had gained the games as neutral athletes, according to the IOC at the time.

Almost sixty athletes from Ukraine had earned a spot in the Paris Olympics, which take place from 26 July to 11 August.