Four years ago at Beijing 2022, Daniela Maier of Germany and Fanny Smith of Switzerland were the unwilling protagonists of a convoluted medal dispute. Smith had crossed the finish line in third ahead of Maier in fourth. But the race jury flipped the result after ruling Smith had interfered with Maier, despite both skiers disagreeing. Smith appealed against the jury's decision to the court of arbitration for sport (Cas), which overruled the officials' decision and deemed that bronze medals should be awarded to both skiers.
"It's our goal. Our goal was always to compete," the 27-year-old told a press conference late on Thursday, hours after International Olympic Committtee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry had informed him that he had been disqualified from the competition. This came after he insisted on competing while wearing a helmet that bears portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes killed in the ongoing war. He had worn the helmet in his five training runs each time placing among the top six.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says she will comply with genetic testing requirements to be able to participate in competitions as long as the tests are conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Khelif won gold in the women's welterweight division at the Paris Games in 2024 during a gender dispute over her eligibility after the International Boxing Association disqualified her from the 2023 World Championships based on sex chromosome tests.
Indian club Mohun Bagan Super Giant have been banned from Asian Football Confederation competitions and ordered to pay more than $100,000 for refusing to travel to Iran for an Asian Champions League Two clash with Sepahan SC in September, the Asian football body said in a statement. In a decision on Wednesday, the AFC's disciplinary and ethics committee excluded Mohun Bagan from the next edition of the Asian competition they qualify for, up to the 2027-28 season.