Russian Olympic Committee body challenges ban from winter sports event

The Russian Olympic Committee made an urgent appeal Friday to overturn a ban on its athletes competing at a European winter sports festival in Finland.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it was setting a timetable for the case ahead of the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival being held from March 20-25.

The ROC appeal challenges a March 2 decision by the executive committee of the European Olympic Committees to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes because of the war in Ukraine.

In a separate Russian case at CAS, the national soccer federation has appealed against bans on national and club teams by FIFA and UEFA. Those suspensions were imposed March 1 within hours of the International Olympic Committee urging sports bodies to act to isolate Russia after the military invasion.