The independent Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) has ordered a hearing for today into allegations of vote-rigging in figure skating at the request of Canada, the court announced.
In a major escalation in the dispute over the results of Monday's pairs figure skating competition at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, the CAS said it had appointed a three-member panel to conduct the hearing today.
The Canadian Olympic Committee submitted the application late last night for CAS to take up the case related to allegations that skating judges colluded to hand victory in the pairs competition to the Russians at the expense of the Canadians.
The CAS immediately issued an order requiring the International Skating Union, figure skating's world governing body, to preserve documents and ensure that referees and judges engaged in the pairs competition remain in Salt Lake City.
The ISU is conducting its own inquiry and was to hold a meeting on Monday of its executive board to consider an appeal lodged by Canada against the judging decision.
An International Olympic Committee official who declined to be named said he was "astonished" at the decision by Canada to take the matter to the abitration court.
AFP