Russian figure skaters to appeal ISU neutral status denial at CAS

MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Russian figure skaters who were denied neutral status by the International Skating Union (ISU) will file appeals with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev told TASS on Thursday.

The ISU announced earlier in the day a decision to deny the neutral status participation in international tournaments to Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva, Mark Kondratyuk, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin.

"The Russian Figure Skating Federation [RFSF] and our skaters, who have been unfairly deprived of the right to compete in ISU’s international competitions, will soon file a lawsuit with the CAS against the ISU," Degtyarev, who is also the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), stated.

"Our athletes and federations will receive legal support, including the provision of qualified lawyers," he added.