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Russian skiers appeal to sports’ highest court over ban from Olympic qualifying events
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian skiers are challenging their continuing ban from competitions as they try to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday.
Six skiers, six Para-athletes and the Russian ski federation have filed an appeal against a decision last month by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to extend their total ban during the country’s war on Ukraine.
CAS gave no timetable for a hearing in what will be a fast-tracked case three months before the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics open.
The potential for another legal win for Russia seemed to increase last week when a different CAS panel of judges upheld a challenge by Russian lugers that requires the International Luge Federation to begin a process of assessing athletes for approved neutral status.
Neutral status can be approved in most Olympic sports according to International Olympic Committee guidance for athletes who have not publicly supported the military invasion of Ukraine and do not have ties to military or state security agencies.
Some Russian and Belarusian athletes competed at the Paris Summer Games last year without their national flag, anthem and team colors.
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AP Winter Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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