Russian cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov wants to get his start at the Olympics before the CAS. He misses the deadline by one day and his appeal is rejected on formal grounds.
29.01.2026, 21:24
SDA
The appeal by three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov against his ineligibility for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo has been rejected by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on formal grounds. The ad hoc chamber declared that it had no jurisdiction. The reason given was that Bolshunov had not submitted his application in time.
The 29-year-old Russian filed a complaint on January 28 against a decision by the FIS World Ski Federation after he was banned from competing as an athlete under a neutral flag. Bolshunov is not allowed to compete for his home country due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. A FIS commission had already rejected the application on December 24.
The CAS has now announced that the ad hoc chamber is only responsible for disputes that arise during the Games or at least ten days before the opening ceremony. This meant that Bolshunov, who won three gold medals in Beijing four years ago, missed the deadline by one day.
