Lawsuit dismissed

Biathlon relay team around Eder wins Olympic silver after all

Austria's biathlon relay team will probably win Olympic silver after all! The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed a complaint by Russian Yevgeny Ustyugov.

Ten years after the Olympic Games in Sochi, the home biathlon relay team can probably look forward to a silver medal after all. Simon Eder, Christoph Sumann, Dominik Landertinger and Daniel Mesotitsch took bronze back then. Germany finished in second place, with Russia coming in as Olympic champions. Part of the winning quartet was Yevgeny Ustyugov, who was banned by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) for doping in 2020. His results from the end of August 2013 until the end of his career in 2014 were also annulled.

Following confirmation by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Ustyugov appealed. However, this has now been rejected, as reported by the IBU and its Integrity Unit. If the IOC applies its usual practice, Eder and Co. would subsequently be moved up to second place. 

Arndt Peiffer, part of the German relay team in 2014, said of the gold medal at the green table: "This is fair play. Because anyone who cheats doesn't deserve to have a gold medal and call themselves Olympic champion."