Thirteen more Russians joined the legal push to beat their country’s doping ban and take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Thursday, taking the total number of appeals to 60 one day before the opening ceremony.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which was already dealing with 47 Russian appeals, said six athletes plus seven doctors, coaches and support staff had joined the list of last-ditch cases. “The applicants are challenging the IOC’s refusal to invite them to participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games,” a CAS statement said. “They request that CAS overturn the IOC decision and allow them to participate in these Games.”
In December, the International Olympic Committee suspended Russia over a state-sponsored doping conspiracy culminating in its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. But the IOC left open a loophole when it said a large group of “clean” Russian athletes could take part under a neutral flag as “Olympic Athletes from Russia”.
The CAS drew criticism last week when it lifted life Olympic bans imposed on 28 Russians. But when 15 of them applied to take part in Pyeongchang, the IOC refused to give them invitations.
CAS had already adjourned its hearings into 47 Russians until Thursday. Currently the Olympic Athletes from Russia number 167 – the fourth biggest team behind USA, Canada and Switzerland.
