MILAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - British skeleton athleteswill not be able to use their specially-designed helmets at the Milano Cortina Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal by the British Bobsleigh andSkeleton Association (BBSA) on Saturday.
The BBSA had taken its case to CAS earlier this week after the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) had banned the helmets, saying they violated competition rules.
In the CAS hearing, the BBSA argued the helmet was compliant because it was manufactured without any attached elements and hence had no aerodynamic modifications.
However, the IBSF said the helmet had spoilers and protruding edges that actually boosted aerodynamics.
"After hearing the expert opinions and considering the evidence, the (CAS) Panel noted that the helmet departsfrom the standard shape and reflects a novel design specifically developed to enhance aerodynamic performance where the rear considerably protrudes," CAS said in a statement.
"The Panel determined that the BBSA did not sufficiently establish that the helmet complies with the current IBSF Rules. As a consequence, the application was dismissed."
Britain has a strong Olympic tradition in skeleton, with three gold medals in the women's event, while double world champion Matt Weston is the gold medal favourite in the men's at Cortina.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
