Russia's Olympic cross-country ski champion Alexander Bolshunov looks set to miss out on the Milan/Cortina Winter Games after an appeal against his ban failed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on procedural grounds. "The case could not be entertained as it was filed outside the jurisdiction of the CAS Ad hoc Division Milano Cortina 2026," a CAS statement said on Thursday.
Russia's Olympic cross-country ski champion Alexander Bolshunov looks set to miss out on the Milan/Cortina Winter Games after an appeal against his ban failed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on procedural grounds.
"The case could not be entertained as it was filed outside the jurisdiction of the CAS Ad hoc Division Milano Cortina 2026," a CAS statement said on Thursday. The Games begin on February 6.
Bolshunov was initially barred from the Games due to a blanket ban on Russians and Belarusians by skiing governing body FIS because of the Ukraine war.
CAS then forced FIS to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals if they proved they were not in favour of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Bolshunov, 29, was not successful in convincing FIS but then appealed to CAS.
The court has set up an ad-hoc division in Milan to deal with expedited claims in the run-up to and during the Games.
But CAS's statement said Bolshunov's appeal did not fall in the ad-hoc division's time parameters so no quick decision can be made.
Category: General Sports
