CAS recognized the suspension of Russian skiers as discrimination

The Commission of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has recognized as discriminatory the decision of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to suspend Russian athletes from international competitions. This is stated in a document published on the CAS website on February 27.

"Both CAS commissions concluded that the FIS Statute requires FIS to be politically neutral and that the FIS Council did not provide sufficient legal grounds for excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes and paraathletes. As a result, a complete ban on the participation of athletes and paraathletes by nationality was found to be discriminatory and in violation of FIS laws," the report says.

The CAS commissions decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be eligible to participate in FIS competitions, including qualifying starts for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Participation is possible only in strict accordance with the criteria of individual neutral athletes of the International Olympic Committee.

Regarding paraathletes, the commission concluded that it had no viable option but to satisfy the requirement and ruled that Russian paraathletes should be eligible to compete in FIS competitions under the same conditions as other paraathletes. The issues of flags and anthems remain within the competence of the International Paralympic Committee.

Island calendar: will Bolshunov surprise you at the Russian Ski Racing Championships on Sakhalin

Alexander is only second in the overall National Cup standings.

On January 31, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the decision of the International Luge Federation (FIL) to grant a qualifying place in the 2026 Olympic Games to Russian Daria Olesik. She performed as an individual neutral athlete (AIN) instead of the Irish luge athlete Elsa Desmond, who was deprived of this place.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.