February 01, 2017 – Russian cross-country skiers Alexander Legkov and Evgeniy Belov will file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), challenging their provisional suspensions reports the Russian new agency TASS. Legkov and Belov are among six Russian cross-country skiers who were provisionally suspended on December 23, 2016 by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for alleged violations of anti-doping rules. The suspensions followed the release of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s McLaren Reports in early December of last year.

Speaking with TASS, Russian Cross Country Ski Federation president Elena Vyalbe said, “The appeals have been submitted. I do not know the date of hearings. Alexander (Legkov) refused the services of other lawyers and the interests of both athletes will be represented by their current lawyer (Christoff Wieschemann).”

Both Legkov and Belov represented Russia at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, with Legkov taking gold in the 50km freestyle race and silver in the 4x10km men’s relay. Legkov and Belov are two of four male skiers along with two female skiers who were suspended for alleged violations of anti-doping rules at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The other suspended athletes include Maxim Vylegzhanin, Alexei Petukhov, Yulia Ivanova and Yevgeniya Shapovalova.

Read the full article from TASS here.