Figure skating-U.S. skaters appeal to CAS to have team medals awarded

2022 Beijing Olympics – IOC Press Conference – Main Press Centre, Beijing, China – February 14, 2022. CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) Director general Matthieu Reeb makes an announcement regarding Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

BEIJING, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Nine American figure skaters have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to rule that they can receive the silver medals they won in the team event before the end of the Beijing Olympics, the court confirmed on Saturday.

CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said the hearing was underway and that he expected a decision to be rendered later that night.

Reeb said the application had not been filed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, but by the nine members of the team.

Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou finished second behind the Russian Olympic Committee team in the competition on Feb. 7. read more .

Japan finished third in the event, while Canada were fourth.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided no medals for the competition would be presented until the doping case of Russian 15-year-old Kamila Valieva had been resolved.

That matter could take weeks or months.

Valieva tested positive for a banned heart drug after the Russian national championships on Dec. 25 but the result was not revealed until Feb. 8, the day after the event. read more

Valieva, now back in Russia, was cleared to compete in the women’s single event by CAS, sport’s highest court, but stumbled to fourth place amid all the drama. read more

The IOC said it would not comment on an ongoing procedure.

Writing by Ossian Shine; Reporting by Karolos Grohmann and Steve Keating; Editing by Ken Ferris

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