British Sonar and Court of Arbitration for Sport
Written by RYA | 12 June 2013
Response to Court of Arbitration for Sport decision involving British Paralympic Sonar team
Response from the British Paralympic Association and RYA:
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced its findings in the case concerning a penalty given to the British Sonar boat during the 2012 Paralympic Games.
This case related to a four-point penalty imposed by the International Jury on the British Sonar boat in connection with a misunderstanding arising out of repairs being effected to damage sustained to the boat’s keel. The penalty resulted in the British Sonar being demoted to three points behind the Norwegian Sonar boat in the regatta results, with the Norwegian team subsequently awarded the bronze medal.
The arbitrator, Michael Beloff QC, ruled that the International Jury’s decision must stand, determining that the matter concerned ‘sport technical rules’ which, according to the International Paralympic Committee Eligibility Code, are unable to be reviewed by CAS.
We are naturally disappointed with this outcome but we respect the arbitrator’s decision and will move forward in the hope that all parties involved will learn lessons from the events that took place.