IOC tries to block appeal from Russian women skiers

The International Olympic Committee /IOC/ is trying to block examination of an appeal from Russian skiers Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova in the arbitration court in Lausanne, their defence lawyer said at a news conference in Moscow.

He said that last Friday he had received a plea from the IOC to put off the "Lazutina and Danilova case" indefinitely.

The plea concerns a request to prove Lazutina's legitimacy of attending the Salt Lake City Olympics, which is absurd. IOC representatives link it with the alleged doping discovered in the Russian skier's blood in tests taken two months before the Olympics in December 2001.

The appeal was made by the Russian side in March 2002 over Lazutina's and Danilova's disqualification at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics because their blood contained banned preparations. Its consideration at the Lausanne court is set for July 17-18.