Russian sporting federations currently have 9 different appeals in front of the Court of Arbitration of Sport, the Swiss-based tribunal reported on Tuesday. That is in addition to one case that the Football Union of Russia withdrew on March 30.
These cases span 6 different specific sports: football (soccer), skating, biathlon, rowing, rugby, and gymnastics, with many other winter sports being rolled up into the appeal against the European Olympic Committees.
The cases all deal with the ban on Russian athletes by most of the world’s international sporting federations as part of sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began almost 6 weeks ago.
Specific sporting federations that have appeals in front of the CAS:
- Football Union of Russia v. UEFA, 11 European federations
- Football Union of Russia v. FIFA, UEFA, Polish, Swedish, Czech, Montenegran, and Matlese Football Federations
- Russian Olympic Committee v. European Olympic Committees
- Russian Skating Union, Figure Skating Federation of Russia (and athletes) v. International Skating Union
- Russian Biathlon Union v. International Biathlon Union
- Russian Rowing Federation v. World Rowing
- Rugby Union of Russia v. World Rugby
- Russian Gymnastics Federation (and athletes) v. International Gymnastics Federation
- Russian Gymnastics Federation (and athletes) v. European Gymnastics
The case dropped was one against football federations of Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic, which were the first three nations to come out publicly and refused to play Russia in World Cup qualifying. Those countries have been rolled up into a larger case against FIFA and UEFA.
No appeals on the ban by aquatics federations like LEN (Europe) and FINA have been appealed yet, though success in these 9 cases will likely lead to many more. LEN banned Russian athletes from competition in Europe fairly early in the war in Russia, though FINA was one of the last to make a move – they banned Russian and Belarusian athletes only when their hand was forced by the appearance of Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Rylov at a pro-war rally in Russia.
The CAS has also not yet announced any appeals by Belarusian federations. Athletes from many Belarusian federations have also been suspended from international competition as a result of their country’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
While the CAS is still forming panels to hear most of the appeals, Russia, at least, was not given decisive early victories in their appeals: emergency requests by Russia to stay the suspension of the country’s soccer teams were rejected by CAS, though that ruling doesn’t mean that the full appeal will be rejected.
Fighting continues in Ukraine on Tuesday. Ukrainian military forces continue to prevent Russia from achieving most of its objectives, and Russians have begun to pull back from the capital city of Kyiv to focus on fighting in the eastern part of the country. The withdraw has revealed more evidence of war atrocities and possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, including claims by the Ukrainian president that civilians in the city of Bucha were tortured and killed for “the pleasure” of Russian soldiers, and that soldiers raped civilian women.
A U.S. government official told CNN on Tuesday that they have already concluded that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine, and that information from Bucha shows “further evidence of war crimes.”
The United States rolled out a new package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday meant to further degrade their financial systems and limit the activities of Russian government officials and their family members.
Time for a total ban on Russia and Russian athletes for the next 10-20 years in participation, sponsorship, and event hosting. Just like their denial of war crimes in Ukraine, their MO in sports is to lie and deny any role in doping, cheating, and bribing and to make mockery out of judicial proceedings and settlements. They conducted wide-spread state-sponsored doping in the lead-up to and during the 2014 Olympis and still have yet to fully admit and accept responsibliiy. At the most recent Games, we just witnessed a Russian kid testing positive for getting doped up with heart medication in figure skating. Its absoutely ludicrous the IOC even allowed them to participate under silly name such as OAR (Olympic… Read more »
Uhhhhhh
Forget it. You can’t just slaughter people and say it’s unfair you don’t get to play games.
they should have their appeal process hearings in front of images of the Russian massacres. (Russians killing Ukrainians)
Very simple. Issue a blanket rejection and include pictures of the atrocities
i do feel for the athletes that really had nothing to do with the war and is in disgust with it. I don’t agree with the people I’ve seen criticising the athletes that tried to appeal before by saying they didn’t do anything to try and stop the war, whilst being unaware of the fact that the single individual in russia has little to zero authority. With that being said, its necessary for these kind of sanctions to be put in place, though these sanctions don’t seem to be doing much
In Nazi Germany people were very happy with their lives and didn’t notice the atrocities and extermination camps and slave labor until the war crossed the border and came to their homes. And we heard again and again: we were small people, we live our modest life, we didn’t wish pain and death to anybody. Excuses.
Don’t be pathetic.There is the War now. Real War. With deaths, ruins and refugees. And until it crosses the Russian border you will hear same talks about inability to influence the government they have chosen.
But there is impossible to start military actions against Russian cities and “peaceful” citizens. Because it’s “inhumane”. So the “humane” way of conducting the war was chosen… Read more »
These bans are the pressure points. Very sensitive to the population of Russian Federation. Stay firm. That it the shortest way to make a dent in the Russian propaganda and make ordinary people aware that their government is doing something terribly wrong and inhumane. The economical sanctions are affecting mostly wealthy or privileged layers of Russian society. But sport and other kinds of cultural entertainment is the direct way to the minds and hearts of general population.
That is why Putin paid so much attention and money to bring major sport events to Russia: Olympics Games, soccer world championships and world championships in practically any other sport disciplines.
Is there a reason the main page switches over to mens NCAAs after about 6 articles from today…not even all of todays articles?
Mine does this too! Poor Leon Marchand is constantly swimming 200 brst (although he’s also constantly doing 1.48s so good for him)
Been the case for the past 10 days (Using Firefox, do not know if the other browsers are concerned)
Chose the “news” option fro the top menu and you will be able to go back in history page by page