Russian athletes appeal to CAS against Olympic bans

Russia's Sochi 2014 flag-bearer, Alexander Zubkov, is among a 22-strong group of banned athletes appealing against lifetime IOC sanctions.

Alexander Zubkov is among a 22-strong group of banned athletes appealing against lifetime IOC sanctions.

A group of 22 Russian athletes suspended by the IOC have appealed against their lifetime Olympic bans with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

READ: How the Russian doping scandal has unfolded

The athletes were all sanctioned for doping violations after samples from the 2014 Sochi Games were retested as part of the Oswald Commission.

News of the appeal comes a day after Russia's federation was ruled out of returning to competitive action for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next year.

READ: Punishing innocent ‘unjust’, says head of Russia’s Olympic Committee

Five gold medalists are among the 22, including bobsledder Aleksandr Zubkov, who was Russia's flagbearer for the Games.

The Sochi event was tainted by state-sponsored doping and cover-ups, which led to Russia's total ban from the 2016 Olympics and subsequent Games.