2008 Olympic Games

Seven female United States track and field Olympic medalists who ran relays with Marion Jones at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, today appealed the April 10, 2008 decision of the International Olympic Committee that demanded the return of their medals. The appeal was filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, a tribunal that has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes relating to the Olympic Games.

On April 10, the IOC issued a decision disqualifying the seven relay athletes from further competition, as well as stripping them of the results and medals they achieved at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

“The IOC disqualified these athletes and revoked their medals without allowing the athletes to attend the proceeding and without allowing them to review or respond to the evidence or charges against them. Therefore, the proceeding before the Court of Arbitration for Sport is not really an ‘appeal,’ - it is the first chance for the athletes to receive what we hope will be a fair hearing,” said Mark Levinstein of Williams & Connolly LLP, the law firm representing the relay athletes. Levinstein added, “When all of the facts and rules are considered, there is only one reasonable conclusion - these young women athletes have done nothing wrong and any attempt to alter their results or revoke their medals violates the Olympic Charter and all the rules that were in effect in 2000, as well as all internationally-accepted concepts of due process and natural justice.”

“We are very excited to finally receive an opportunity to give our side of the story and show how unreasonable the International Olympic Committee has been throughout this process,” said Passion Richardson, one of the Olympians whose medals and results are at issue.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport will select a panel of arbitrators-with each party selecting one and the third selected by CAS-and will set a date for a hearing.

The United States Olympic Committee has refused to support the women or to join the women in their appeal, except to take the position that the women have a procedural right to an appeal.

The women continue to seek financial support. Anyone interested in helping the women pursue their appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport should contact The Innocent Olympic Athletes’ Legal Defense Fund, c/o Mark Levinstein, Williams & Connolly LLP, 725 Twelfth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005.

Source: The Innocent Olympic Athletes’ Legal Defense Fund