MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2018) A Moscow court on Wednesday permitted the non-execution of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling to deprive the head of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, Alexander Zubkov, of his gold medals from the Olympic Games in Sochi, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the courtroom.
"Satisfy the refusal to recognize and execute the CAS decision by the Russian Federation in the case of Alexander Zubkov against the International Olympic Committee," presiding judge Ilnar Basyrov said.
In his claim, Zubkov insisted that the CAS decision violated the "public order of Russia."
CAS had previously admitted that the athlete had violated anti-doping rules, having revealed a "physiologically impossible" salt level in his urine. The athlete could not explain this fact. CAS concluded that Zubkov had previously provided clean urine, to which salt was later added to conceal the substitution. At the same time, the commission dealing with the Zubkov case failed to establish that the athlete's doping test had been replaced.
The judge pointed out that the CAS decision was based on speculation, because none of the witnesses, including former head of the Moscow anti-doping lab Grigory Rodchenkov, directly indicated the fact of sample substitution. In his decision, he referred to the presumption of innocence.
During the court session, Zubkov's lawyer explained why the athlete's urine could not have traces of doping: since the athlete is a sleigh pilot, he does not need to do any serious physical expenses. Zubkov himself insisted on the return of the medals and the status of an Olympic champion, which gives the right to receive a presidential scholarship for life and which he was no longer paid due to the deprivation of his Olympic champion title and medals.
The IOC Commission previously found Zubkov guilty of violating anti-doping rules, annulled the results from the 2014 Olympics, in which he won two gold medals, and suspended his participation in the Games for life. Later, CAS replaced the lifelong suspension from the Olympics with non-admission only to the Pyeongchang Games. At the same time, Zubkov's results at the Olympics in Sochi remained annulled.
