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Bach hoping for quick, unambiguous ruling from CAS in Russia doping case

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Bach hoping for quick, unambiguous ruling from CAS in Russia doping case
Bach hoping for quick, unambiguous ruling from CAS in Russia doping case

IOC President Thomas Bach says he is hoping for quick, unambiguous ruling from CAS in Russia doping case

SHOWS: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 10, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH SPEAKING AT IOC 135TH SESSION 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH, SAYING: "Unfortunately, the speed of the procedure is not in our hands, it is in the hands of this CAS panel, but of course we hope for a decision as soon as possible in order to be able to make there all the necessary arrangements and this relates to the athletes but also to all other questions which maybe address in the CAS decision." 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH, SAYING: "But what is as important for the IOC and also for the international federations is that we get a decision which does not leave room to any kind of interpretation.

This must be a waterproof decision where everybody concerned know, when reading the decision, what to do and what not to do and what the decision means and what it does not mean." 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH, SAYING: "Because if there is room for interpretation then this interpretation will trigger the next CAS case and there I am not even speaking then of potential appeal to the Swiss Federal Court or to other courts.

This would lead to a real, total confusion, then also with regard to potentially different interpretations by different international federations." 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH, SAYING: "So, this decision must be quarter tight and waterproof and cannot leave any, any room, for any kind of interpretation.

This is the key and having said this, I hope that the CAS manages this as soon as possible." STORY: A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a four-year ban of Russia for doping must come as soon as possible and leave no room for interpretation ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday (January 10).

IOC President Thomas Bach said the ruling should be "waterproof" so as to leave no room for other legal challenges that would further delay decisions about how Russian athletes will take part at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer.

"Unfortunately, the speed of the procedure is not in our hands", Bach told a news conference.

"Of course, we hope for a decision as soon as possible in order to be able to make all the necessary arrangements".

On Thursday (January 9) the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) formally asked CAS to rule on Russia's ban, after the agency handed down the punishment for manipulating laboratory data in relation to their doping scandal from 2015.

The move was expected after the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) sent a letter to WADA last month disputing the punishment, which bars Russia from competing in this year's summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 winter Games in Beijing.

Only athletes who can prove they are clean competitors would be permitted to compete under the ban, and would have to do so as so-called "neutral" athletes.

The IOC, however, is eager to avoid a repeat of the run-up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics where Russian athletes were filing appeals to bans just days before they were due to compete.

A limited number of Russian athletes was permitted to compete at the 2016 Rio Games while the entire Russian team competed as a neutral team at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

(Production: Cecile Mantovani)

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