CAS:n ratkaisu venäläisten yleisurheilijoiden kelpoisuudesta Rion olympialaisiin

21.7.2016 | Oikeusuutiset

Markku Fredman

Urheilun kansainvälinen välitystuomioistuin CAS on tänään antanut ratkaisunsa asiassa, jossa Venäjän olympiakomitea ja 68 urheilijaa olivat valittaneet kansainvälisen yleisurheiluliiton (IAAF) päätöksestä kieltää kaikkien venäläisten yleisurheilijoiden osallistuminen Rion olympialaisiin.

CAS totesi ratkaisussaan, että koska kansainvälinen olympiakomitea (IOC) ei ollut asiassa asianosaisena, sillä ei ollut toimivaltaa ratkaista yleisellä tasolla kysymystä siitä, voisiko IOC hyväksyä venäläisten yleisurheilijoiden osallistumisen olympialaisiin joko Venäjän edustajina tai uuden, kesäkuussa 2016 voimaan tulleen säännön mukaan, ns. neutraaleina urheilijoina.

CAS:n lehdistötiedotteesta:

The CAS Panel has confirmed the validity of the IAAF’s decision to apply Rules 22.1(a) and 22.1A of the IAAF Competition Rules, which state that athletes whose national federation is suspended by the IAAF are ineligible for competitions held under the IAAF Rules, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, unless they satisfy specific criteria. Accordingly, since the national federation governing athletics in Russia (ARAF, now RUSAF) is currently suspended from IAAF membership, its athletes who do not satisfy the conditions set by Rule 22.1(A) are ineligible for competitions held under the IAAF Rules. These competitions include the athletics events at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

As a consequence, the CAS Panel confirmed that the ROC is not entitled to nominate Russian track and field athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games considering that they are not eligible to participate under the IAAF competition rules, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. However, the ROC is entitled to enter as representatives of the Russian Federation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games the Russian track and field athletes who fulfil the criteria and are eligible to compete under IAAF Competition Rule 22.1A.

Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was not a party in the arbitrations, the CAS found that it had no jurisdiction to determine whether the IOC is entitled generally to accept or refuse the nomination by ROC of Russian track and field athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. For the same reason, the CAS found that it had no jurisdiction to determine whether the IOC is entitled to accept or refuse the entry either as representatives of the Russian Federation or as “neutral athletes” of the Russian track and field athletes entered by the ROC.

With respect to the new IAAF Rule 22.1A, the CAS Panel was concerned about the immediate application with retroactive effect of such Rule, implemented by the IAAF on 17 June 2016, providing for exceptional criteria to grant eligibility to athletes whose national federation is suspended. Since such Rule involves criteria based on long-term prior activity, it left no possibility in practice, and as applied, for the Claimant Athletes to be able to try to comply with them.

In view of the urgency of the matter, the CAS Panel has issued only its decision, which is unanimous, without the grounds. The full Arbitral Award, including the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued as soon as possible.

Koko lehdistötiedote löytyy täältä: CAS rejects the claims/appeal of the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes