MILANO CORTINA 2026 LUGE
THE CAS AD HOC DIVISION DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION TO CONSIDER THE APPEAL BY THE IRISH LUGE FEDERATION (ILF)
Milan, 31 January 2026 – The CAS Ad hoc Division has determined that there is no jurisdiction to consider an appeal by the Irish Luge Federation (ILF) against the International Luge Federation (FIL). The appeal concerned a 2026 Olympic Winter Games (2026 OWG) qualification place for Luge athlete Ms Elsa Desmond (Ireland).
On 29 January 2026, the Irish Luge Federation (ILF) filed an appeal against the International Luge Federation (FIL). The ILF argued that the FIL unlawfully deprived the IFL of a qualifying place for the 2026 OWG by failing to allocate a remaining qualification place and unlawfully allocating qualification places to athletes granted Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status.
The CAS arbitrator assigned to the procedure noted that the CAS Ad hoc Division for the 2026 OWG has been established to resolve disputes only insofar as they arise during the 2026 OWG or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening Ceremony of the Games. As a result, the dispute must have arisen by 27 January 2026 at the earliest, in order to fall within its jurisdiction.
The sole arbitrator considered the factual background of the case and the chronology of events between the ILF, the athlete and FIL. The FIL decided to assign the disputed qualification place to an AIN athlete, Ms Daria Olesik, on 16-18 January 2026 during a FIL World Cup event in Oberhof, Germany. On 22 January 2026, the ILF wrote to the FIL to challenge FIL’s decision. The CAS arbitrator decided that it is not necessary to determine precisely when the dispute arose, but there can be no doubt that it was no later than 26 January 2026, i.e. the final entry deadline for athletes qualified for the 2026 OWG.
Consequently, the case could not be entertained as it was filed outside the jurisdiction of the CAS Ad hoc Division Milano Cortina 2026.
Unless Parties request confidentiality, the CAS Award will be published shortly on the CAS website. This is an unofficial summary for media use.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is an independent organisation that resolves sports disputes worldwide. During the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) assigns CAS the judicial authority to resolve legal disputes in an expedited timeframe, sometimes less than 24 hours after a case is filed. Athletes and sporting federations are guaranteed free access to quality dispute resolution services that are compatible with the Olympic competition schedule. You can read more about the CAS Ad hoc Division for Milano Cortina 2026 here.
