BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian and the Sweden
delegation asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to investigate a
controversial semifinal bout and the hearing will be held on Aug. 22,
Friday.
The CAS said it received a request from the National Olympic Committe of
Sweden and from Abrahamian against the International Wrestling Federation
(FILA).
Abrhamian lost to Andrea Minguzzi of Italy in the semifinals of men's
Greco-Roman wrestling 84kg at Beijing Olympics on Aug. 14. FIlA denied the
request of the Swedish NOC and Abrahamian to file a a protest related to that
bout.
After winning bronze through repechage matches, Abrahamian put the medal back
in the victory ceremony and walked away. The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) then stripped his bronze medal on Aug. 16th.
CAS said the hearing would decide whether "FILA's consideration of
applicants' requests is to change the result of the bout and to sanction the
officials involved in the bout."
The Sweden NOC and Abrahamian do not seek from the CAS any particular relief
regarding the ranking and the allocation of the medals for this event. They do
not seek either a review of the IOC decision to exclude Abrahamian from the
Beijing Games.
The panel of CAS arbitrators appointed to hear is composed of CAS
president David Rivkin, Michael Beloff and Thomas Lee.