EXTRA IBSF weighing options after suspensions of Russian sliders lifted

Berlin (dpa) - The ruling bobsleigh and skeleton body IBSF said on Monday it doesn‘t share but respects the decision of its hearing panel to lift provisional suspensions of nine Russian sliders who have been banned for life from the Olympics.The IBSF said in a statement that the hearing panel granted the athletes‘ rights for a provisional hearing and removed the suspension, also saying in the move announced on Friday that it was awaiting more evidence from the International Olympic Committee."While the IBSF disagrees with the decision of the panel we respect their decision. We are currently assessing our legal options," the IBSF said. IBSF vice-president Andreas Trautvetter told dpa that the documents from the IOC disciplinary commission were not sufficient for a suspension, a hearing Friday with five of the athletes revealed. The still active athletes can now compete in the World Cup, and Trautvetter said it was unlikely the IBSF would go before the Court of Arbitration for Sports. The nine affected athletes include two-time 2014 bobsleigh Olympic champion Alexander Zhubkov who now heads Russia‘s bobsleigh federation, and the 2014 skeleton gold medallist Alexander Tretyakov.The athletes were banned for life from the Olympics and disqualified from the 2014 events by the IOC after being mentioned in a report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren which spoke of doping schemes in Sochi including tampering with samples. The full reasoning is yet to be published.