Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 6 February 2018
IOC rejects 15 Russian athletes whose bans were lifted

By STEPHEN WADE been exonerated by CAS. could file that appeal with
AP Sports Writer “This decision has little in Switzerland’s supreme
PYEONGCHANG, South common with sports, its court. However, the IOC
Korea (AP) — The Interna- goal is to do political dam- says any appeal first re-
tional Olympic Committee age to Russia,” he said. quires seeing the reason-
rejected a request on Mon- The IOC did not name the ing of the judgments. CAS
day to invite 15 Russians to athletes, but Russian offi- has said those might not be
the Pyeongchang Winter cials have said they include ready until the end of the
Games just days after the two gold-medal winners month.
athletes’ doping bans were from the 2014 Sochi Olym- “The IOC, we would never
overturned by the Court of pics — cross-country skier have expected this,” Bach
Arbitration for Sport. Alexander Legkov and skel- said as uncertainty lingers
The 13 active athletes and eton racer Alexander Tre- over the Russian athletes.
two retired athletes work- tiakov. They join dozens of “We feel that this decision
ing in support roles were other Russians who haven’t shows the urgent need for
among 28 athletes whose been convicted of any reforms in the internal struc-
bans were overturned by IOC President Thomas Bach speaks during the opening ceremo- doping offenses but failed ture of CAS.”
CAS on Thursday. The ban ny of the 132nd IOC session ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics to pass the IOC vetting for “We only know about the
on 11 other Russians was in Gangneung, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. an invitation. reasons from a very few
upheld. Associated Press The ruling by the sports sentences in a press re-
Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Russian President Vladimir coaches “should not be court was a blow to the lease.”
Medvedev denounced the Putin’s spokesman Dmitry considered for an invita- IOC and has shifted some John Coates, an IOC mem-
IOC move as “shameful.” Peskov said. “We’re con- tion” because of previous of the focus away from ber and also the president
“This decision is unfair, un- vinced that the CAS ruling evidence available to the Friday’s opening of the of the International Council
lawful, amoral and politi- has proved that such suspi- IOC. games in frigid South Korea of Arbitration for Sport, tried
cally charged,” Medvedev cions had no grounds.” The IOC added it had “ad- with about 3,000 athletes to assure Bach the judicial
said on Facebook. In a statement on Monday, ditional elements and/or participating. reasoning would be forth-
The IOC said as-yet unpub- the IOC said part of its rul- evidence” that included Speaking at the Olym- coming.
lished new evidence — not ing was because “the full “traces of prohibited sub- pic village, IOC President Russian officials and ath-
examined in the CAS pro- reasoning for these deci- stances and evidence of Thomas Bach repeated his letes have said they’re also
cess — gave rise to new sions had not been made steroid profile manipula- disquiet over the CAS ruling planning more legal ac-
doping suspicions about public” by CAS. tion.” It said this raised ques- and said on Monday an tion.
the 15 Russians. The Kremlin “The decision of the CAS tions about the “integrity of appeal was possible. The IOC has invited 169
argued the CAS decision had not lifted the suspicion these athletes.” “We are extremely disap- Russians to compete in Py-
meant the 15 should be of doping, or given the Medvedev, meanwhile, pointed with this CAS de- eongchang as “Olympic
treated as clean. panel sufficient confidence argued the IOC “has tram- cision,” Bach said. “We will Athletes from Russia” under
“We very much regret it. We to recommend ... those 13 pled on the Olympic Char- clearly review it. If we can a neutral flag, but has said
expected that the CAS de- athletes could be consid- ter and elementary princi- appeal it, we will appeal it reserves the right to re-
cision would dispel all suspi- ered as clean.” ples of law” by refusing to it.” view and appeal the CAS
cions against the athletes,” The IOC said the two invite the Russians who had The Lausanne-based IOC decision.q

Alpine Skiing Shiffrin and Hirscher will
be overwhelming favor-
ites for gold. Course set-
Continued from Page 17 season. ters are picked randomly
GIANT SLALOM (men Feb. and, as luck would have
SUPER-G (men Feb. 15; 18; women Feb. 12) it, Hirscher’s own coach,
women Feb. 17) Giant slalom, also called Mike Pircher, was selected
The super-giant slalom, also GS, requires sweeping turns for the Olympic slalom’s first
known as super-G, is the through gates more than run. Shiffrin is trying to be-
second speed event. It is 30 feet (at least 10 meters) come the first person to win
raced on a slightly shorter, apart. Times from two runs consecutive slalom titles.
twistier course that is more are combined. COMBINED (men Feb. 13;
unpredictable than the The Olympic race will be women Feb. 23)
downhill. the first top-tier giant slalom Enjoy Alpine combined
The skiers never get a at Yongpyong since March This Feb. 4, 2018, file photo shows United States’ Lindsey Vonn while you can. This might
chance to practice on 2006, when a young Ameri- competing during an alpine ski, women’s world Cup downhill be the Olympic swan song
the exact set of gates de- can named Ted Ligety race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany. for an event that combines
signed by a national team earned his first World Cup Associated Press the times from one downhill
coach who is chosen by victory. That was before even competes in downhill. events to weave through run and one slalom.
random lottery. Instead, ski- Ligety became “Mr. GS” The men’s race could be about 60 close-set gates Traditionalists love the mix
ers only inspect the course with 24 World Cup wins, another duel between in less than a minute. The of skills, but racers are so
beforehand; in the 2014 plus the 2014 Olympic gold Marcel Hirscher of Austria 30 fastest racers start in re- specialized now that those
Olympic women’s super-G and three world champi- and Henrik Kristofferen of verse order for the second good at one discipline
, seven of the first eight rac- onship titles. Norway, while Shiffrin and run. tend not to be competitive
ers failed to finish. Before Ligety dominated world champion Tessa Wor- Slalom needs the iciest rac- at the other.
Norway has won the men’s from 2011-15, men’s GS was ley of France are the wom- ing surface, and can run in The last two men’s world
gold four times in a row, in- balanced between experts en’s favorites. falling snow and fog that champions — Hirscher
cluding Svindal in 2010 and in slalom and downhill. Not SLALOM (men Feb. 22; would make the downhill and Luca Aerni of Switzer-
Jansrud in 2014. Vonn is now. In an era of more women Feb. 14) or super-G speed races un- land — were 30th fastest in
one of six women who won specialized training, none In the slalom, athletes use safe. downhill, so got first use of
a World Cup super-G this of today’s GS contenders shorter skis than in other Assuming they’re healthy, a clean slalom course to.q