32 Russians appeal Pyeongchang exclusion to CAS

[Photo: Courtesy]

Thirty-two Russian athletes appealed their Pyeongchang Olympics exclusion by the International Olympic Committee over a doping scandal in their country, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Tuesday.

The IOC has invited only 169 carefully screened Russian athletes who will compete as independents after the nation was banned over the Sochi 2014 doping scandal from the Games starting this week.

Among the 32 appealing their Olympic bans are multiple Olympic champion speed skater Viktor Ahn and biathlon gold medallist Anton Shipulin.

CAS said a hearing was likely to be held on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony of the Games.

Even if the athletes’ appeal was successful it was highly unlikely for any of them to compete in South Korea.

CAS last week ruled there was “insufficient evidence” of anti-doping violations against 28 Russian athletes, who had also appealed their IOC sanctions, and cleared them to compete.

The IOC, however, has refused to invite them, noting there was evidence about the athletes that had not been available to the IOC commission that had investigated them.

IOC holds that the evidence that was tabled against the athletes was strong and beyond any doubt, they warranted punishment.

While speaking to the media on the subject, IOC member Denis Oswald expressed disappointment at the CAS decision to acquit the athletes on grounds that there were no sufficient evidence pinning them down.

“It was a shock as we felt the evidence we presented was strong enough to justify the sanctions we had taken,” said Oswald.  “I have difficulty explaining it because I don’t understand it myself.” He added.

IOC had banned Russia from participating in the Pyeongyang Olympic Winter Games on charges of engaging in doping by ‘manipulating the anti-doping system at the Sochi Games in 2014.

The Olympics governing body IOC has however highlighted conditions under which the Russian athletes may be allowed to compete again. One of them being the invitation of around 169 athletes with no doping history to compete as neutrals.