CAS to Rule on Medal-stripped Swedish Wrestler's Semifinal Loss

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 August 22 on 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 August 14. FIlA denied the request of the Swedish NOC and Abrahamian to file 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 August 16.

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.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)

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