The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne announced on Monday that it received a filed lawsuit from the Russian Olympic Committee against IAAF in defense of the national field and track athletes wishing to participate in the 2016 Summer Games.
Advertisement
“The parties have agreed to an expedited procedure which should conclude on 21 July 2016”, the statement added.
Last month, the IAAF upheld the ban that was first imposed on Russian athletes in November, following a report by a World Anti-Doping Agency panel that alleged state-sponsored doping.
The case is being brought jointly by the ROC and dozens of top Russian athletes. They also have been “confirmed by the ARAF main coaching council and presidium”, the federation said.
The 2016 Olympic Games start in Rio on August 5.
As well as twice Olympic pole vault champion Isinbayeva (2004 and 2008) and high jump gold medallist Ukhov (2012), it includes world 110 metres hurdles champion Sergei Shubenkov and former European long jump title holder Darya Klishina.
Only athletes who can prove they have been operating in an “effective testing system” will be considered, something that is thought to exclude all but one or two squad members based outside Russian Federation.
International Olympic Committee executives last month said the IAAF had full authority to decide on which athletes can contest in Rio.
The appeal to CAS is therefore their best hope, with their defence likely to argue that the IAAF verdict unfairly punished “clean” athletes who have not been directly implicated in a doping scandal.
The list approved by the suspended All-Russia Athletic Federation appears to contradict an earlier promise not to send any athletes who have previously been banned for doping offenses.
Advertisement
If CAS rules in favor of the athletes there will be another issue to resolve as the IOC’s deadline for them to achieve the qualifying criteria for the Games, July 11, would have passed.
