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GENEVA, October 31. /TASS/. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal of Russian speed skater Daria Kachanova and her application for neutral status to participate in international competitions was turned down, the court said in a statement on Friday. "… an appeal by Daria Kachanova against the ISU. Filed on 4 June 2025, it contests a decision by the ISU [International Skating Union] on 12 May 2025 that rejected the athlete’s inclusion on the list of AINs [Individual Neutral Athlete] eligible to compete in the qualifying competitions for the OWG [Olympic Winter Games] 2026," the statement reads. "This rejection was based on a report that outlined Ms Kachanova’s affiliation with CSKA Moscow, a sports club controlled by the Ministry of Defense of Russia," according to the CAS statement. "The case was heard virtually on 17 October 2025 where the Panel considered the arguments by Ms Kachanova and the ISU," the statement reads. "The CAS Panel found by majority that the ISU’s approach not deeming the athlete eligible for neutral status was correct. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed." Kachanova, 28, is the silver and bronze medalist of the World Championships (2020 and 2019 respectively) in addition to one gold, two silver and two bronze medals of the European Championships. The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Italy, in the cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The event will take place from February 6-22, 2026. In late March, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended international sports federations to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.
