MINSK, 22 February (BelTA) – Belarus' National Olympic Committee (NOC) is preparing a lawsuit against the International Canoe Federation (ICF) over the disqualification of the Belarusian senior men's canoe and kayak national team from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It is expected that the necessary documents will be prepared in March, BelTA learned from NOC Secretary General Anatoly Kotov.
The appeal of the Belarusian Canoe Federation was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne on 23 January. The one-year ban on Vladimir Shantarovich's team was overturned. “The documents for filing the suit against the ICF will be ready in March. We should decide what compensation to go after and also choose the venue for the court hearings. They will be held in Switzerland. The final decision on which court to appeal, a civil one, CAS or even the ICF arbitration court, will become known later,” Anatoly Kotov said.
The CAS published a full document on its official website regarding the case of the Belarusian canoe and kayak team members.
BelTA reported earlier that Belarus' senior men's canoe and kayak national team was preparing for the Rio Olympics in France when they had a surprise visit and a search by police. The ICF accused Belarus team of the use of banned substances and imposed a one-year ban. Thus the team was not able to participate in the 2016 Summer Games. Belarus applied to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. The CAS refused to fast-track the proceedings. The hearing was held in Switzerland on 7 November. The CAS issued its decision on 23 January 2017. The court lifted a one-year ban from the Belarusian men's canoe and kayak national team imposed by the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
