Russian court challenges International Olympic Committee
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MOSCOW (AP) — With a pair of gold medals at stake, a Russian court has issued a ruling that directly challenges the authority of the International Olympic Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Moscow City Court ruled Wednesday that bobsledder Alexander Zubkov, who carried the Russian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Games, should still be considered an Olympic champion despite having been stripped of his medals because of doping. A CAS ruling upholding his disqualification is not enforceable in Russia, the court said.
CAS, however, is the only valid arbiter for sports disputes at the games, according to the Olympic Charter. In rare instances, Switzerland's supreme court can weigh in on matters of procedure.