23 August 2018

Cycling: CAS rejects the request of Olga Zabelinskaya to compete for Uzbekistan at the cycling road race

The Ad hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at the 2018 Asian Games registered a new application filed by the cyclist Olga Zabelinskaya and the Uzbekistan Cycling Federation, supported by the NOC of Uzbekistan, against the decision of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to deny the participation of Zabelinskaya in the women’s individual time trial on 24 August 2018.

The NOC of Uzbekistan registered Olga Zabelinskaya in road cycling at the 2018 Asian Games. Earlier this month, the International Cycling Union (UCI) had accepted the athlete’s request to change her sports nationality, formerly Russian, and had registered her as Uzbek. However, on 21 August 2018, the OCA determined that the athlete was not eligible to compete for Uzbekistan in accordance with the OCA Constitution, which provides that any athlete who has changed his/her nationality shall not participate in the Asian Games to represent his/her new country until three years after such change.

This matter was submitted to a Panel of arbitrators composed of:

• Mr Xianyue (Simon) Bai (China), President
• Mr Jahangir Baglari (I.R. Iran), arbitrator
• Mr Enrico Ingles (Philippines), arbitrator

The Panel held an urgent hearing with the parties in person and via telephone conference (athlete) in the afternoon of 23 August 2018, from 16:00 to 17:30 at the office of the CAS ad hoc Division in Jakarta. The CAS Panel deliberated and issued the operative part of the award on the same day.

The Panel dismissed the application and confirmed the OCA decision not to accept the participation of Olga Zabelinskaya in the women’s individual time trial. The full award with the grounds will be published shortly.

• This media release was published by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 23 August 2018. Click here for the original.

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