The CAS chaos surrounding the Russian athletes will continue until shortly before the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
CAS chaos up to the start: It is only shortly before the start of the Winter Olympics on Friday that it will be definitively clear how many Russians will be allowed to start in Pyeongchang “I hope that we will receive the results before the opening ceremony”, said IOC President Thomas Bach on Wednesday in Pyeongchang.
Bach has come to terms with the confusion:”We don’t have timing in our hands,”said the IOC boss. The Russians have a “right to fair hearings”, which is why the decisions would drag on for so long:”The results will be announced on Thursday evening or Friday morning,”the highest arbitral tribunal said.
So far, 169 Russian athletes have been allowed to compete in Pyeongchang under a neutral flag and as “Athletes for Russia”. A total of 47 other Russian athletes have filed a complaint with CAS in the last few days in order to receive an invitation for the 23rd World Championships. Winter Games. They were banned for doping offences at home matches in Sochi in 2014.
Initially, a group of 32 athletes had called the CAS ad hoc court on Tuesday, including short-track icon Viktor Ahn and biathlon star Anton Schipulin. A day later a group of 15 Russians followed, including the Sochi Olympic champions Alexander Legkov (cross-country skiing) and Alexander Tretyakov (skeleton).
For Bach, it was important that he received the support of the IOC’s General Assembly for his course on the Russia issue,”We are happy about this,”said the 64 year old, after the session of the IOC leadership with only two abstentions and almost complete support.
It also ran for Bach on 132th place in terms of personnel. Session as desired. In the Chinese Yu Zaiqing, one of his trusted comrades-in-arms was confirmed as IOV vice-president for another four years. The IOC also decided that the Youth Summer Games will be awarded to Africa for the first time. Olympia remains on course for expansion. Senegal is the favourite for the next event in 2022.
Bach also explained that he would be looking forward to the competitions in Pyeongchang starting Friday,”I have seen and marveled at some of the venues. These are the best conditions that have existed so far in winter games,”said Bach. He is particularly pleased with the start of the North Korean team. The country, which is still officially hostile to the South, will participate in the games with 22 athletes in five disciplines. In addition, there are artists, functionaries and media representatives.
But not everyone is happy about the cooperation of the North. Several hundred mostly conservative South Koreans had protested in the port of Mukho near Pyeongchnag when a group of 120 cheerleaders from the north landed by ship. They showed pictures of the South Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, crisscrossed with a large X, and burned Korean unified flags.
The North reacted with desolate abuse. Every insult to the ruling Kim dynasty provokes the wrath of the North “, threatened the politically isolated country and described the protestants as” human scum “.