The key facts

  • CAS confirmed the filing of Alexander Zhulin's appeal against the ISU decision
  • The ISU refused the coach neutral status on October 7
  • On June 30, the ISU announced the admission of Russian athletes under neutral status from the new season

Appeal registered with CAS

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that Russian coach Alexander Zhulin filed an arbitration appeal against the decision of the International Skating Union (ISU). “CAS confirms that Alexander Zhulin has filed an arbitration appeal,” the court's press service is quoted as saying RIA Novosti. The registration of the appeal is also reported by Gazeta.Ru.

What is being contested

The subject of the dispute is the ISU decision of October 7, by which the coach was refused neutral status, which is required for admission to international competitions. This decision contradicts the union's earlier position: on June 30, the ISU issued a press release announcing that Russian athletes would be admitted to tournaments under the organization's auspices from the new season — in a neutral status, both in individual and team events. The decision covered all sports within the ISU: figure skating, short track, and speed skating.

Context

Amid discussions about the return of Russian figure skaters to the international stage, a proposal was voiced in Finland not to issue visas to Russian figure skaters ahead of the 2027 World Championships. The timelines for considering Zhulin's appeal and possible CAS decisions are not specified in the publications.