The Russian Olympic Committee has lost its appeal against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced on Friday that it had rejected the Republic of China’s appeal against the suspension imposed in October. The IOC opposed the Republic of China’s merger of four sports organizations representing the eastern region of Ukraine, calling it a “violation of the Olympic Charter.”
Russia was already banned by the IOC from entering athletes to fly its national flag at the Paris Olympics, and this suspension undermines the IOC’s efforts to allow Russians to compete as neutral athletes without national symbols. It doesn’t stop it.
IOC announces Russia and Belarus will not be officially invited to the 2024 Paris Olympics
CAS announced that it had determined that the suspension issued by the IOC Executive Board “did not violate the principles of legality, equality, predictability and proportionality.”
The Republic of China said the CAS ruling, whose full text has not yet been made public, “effectively copied the IOC’s arguments” and ignored Russia’s lawsuit. The Republic of China could appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court, but has not said whether it plans to do so.
“The CAS ruling is further evidence that civil and sporting discrimination against Russians is reaching unprecedented proportions in the run-up to the Paris Games,” the Republic of China said in a statement.
The Republic of China said that the Russian Olympic team, Russian athletes and officials were not allowed to participate in the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, just as the CAS “ruled out the possibility of cooperation by the Republic of China with athletes recognized by the IOC as meeting”. I have confirmed that I will not be participating in the Olympic Games.” This is the so-called neutral standard. ”
The IOC said on Friday it was “pleased” that CAS’s suspension of the ROC was found to be valid.
Russia hosted the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the most expensive Olympics in history. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
The Republic of China’s decision to incorporate the sports organizations of four Ukrainian regions “violates the territorial integrity of Ukraine (National Olympic Committee), as recognized by the International Olympic Committee in accordance with the Olympic Charter, and “This constitutes a violation of the Charter,” the IOC said.
The October suspension deprived the Republic of China of its right to receive funding from the IOC, but it will continue to compete in international sports as a neutral athlete aiming to qualify for this year’s Paris Olympics as part of an IOC-backed initiative. Many Russians participating were not affected.
The IOC previously announced that they would compete at the Paris Games as individual neutral athletes.
The IOC previously announced it would ban “athletes who actively support the war” in Ukraine, but it is not asking Russian athletes to speak out against the war. The IOC said the suspension would eliminate the need to consult with the Republic of China committee on which athletes to select.
The Republic of China said in a statement on Friday that the neutral athlete procedure contained “humiliating standards” and that athletes risked violating Russian law by agreeing to it.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Athletes from Russia’s ally Belarus have a similar system of individual neutrality, and their national Olympic committees have not suspended them. The IOC previously announced that it would hold discussions with the Belarusian NOC regarding the selection of athletes for the Paris team.
