Swiss Federal Court rejects Russian appeal to participate in Paralympics

Switzerland’s highest court has refused to overturn a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to ban Russian athletes from taking part in next month’s Rio Paralympics – meaning Russia has now exhausted its legal options, RT reports.

Last week, the Lausanne-based CAS, the highest legal authority for sports-related disputes, upheld a decision to ban disabled Russian athletes for their alleged involvement in Russia’s doping scandal.

The Swiss Federal Court could have – at least temporarily – reversed this decision if it had found that CAS had not followed appropriate procedures. It did not have the authority to rule on the substance of the case.

But on Wednesday the court sided with CAS, refusing to grant the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) a temporary injunction.

The Rio Paralympics start on September 7, and there is now little chance that anything can reverse the ban.