Belarus canoe team wins case over Olympic ban for doping

Published Jan. 23, 2017 11:24 a.m. ET

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) The Court of Arbitration for Sport says the Belarus men's canoe and kayak team was wrongly banned from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in a doping case.

The court says its judging panel overturned a one-year ban imposed on the team last July by the International Canoe Federation.

There was ''insufficient evidence to uphold several of the alleged anti-doping rule violations,'' the court said.

Five Belarus team members tested positive for meldonium after a police raid on their training camp in France last April.

French police and customs officials ''confiscated various substances, medication, material and medical equipment,'' CAS said.

The panel ruled ''there was no justification'' for the ban if multiple doping violations were not proved. Its detailed reasons will be published within days.

Belarus won two silver medals at the 2012 London Olympics in men's canoe sprint.