Michelle de Bruin has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne Switzerland, she confirmed last night. She filed the appeal yesterday morning against the four-year ban handed down to her on August 6th by FINA, the governing body of swimming.
FINA now has 15 days in which to file its report. When CAS has received the necessary documentation from both parties, a date for the hearing will be set. This will happen, it is hoped, some time in October.
The swimmer had until the end of this week to make an application to the Appeals Arbitration Divison of CAS. Any decision from CAS will come within six months of the hearing.
If the appeal is not upheld by CAS it would be extremely difficult for de Bruin to take her case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Her solicitor, Peter Lennon, has indicated that his client may consider this option if the appeal is unsuccessful. However, legal experts say that it is not possible for de Bruin or her solicitor to take this route. Only signatories to the Council of Europe can be sued through the Court and the only signatories are member-states of the Council of Europe.
