Italian Curling Athlete’s Appeal Over Olympic Selection Dismissed
An Italian curling athlete’s allegations of nepotism in the selection process for the Milan Cortina Olympics have been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Angela Romei’s appeal was rejected on Sunday, confirming the selection of Rebecca Mariani over her for the national team.
The decision came after Romei argued there was a “conflict of interest” due to Rebecca Mariani being the daughter of Marco Mariani, the Italian federation’s technical director. Marco Mariani, a former Olympic athlete himself during the Turin 2006 Winter Games, was part of the decision-making body. CAS, however, found no substantial evidence to support the claim of unfair favoritism.
Romei, who has earned silver and bronze medals at the European Championships as part of Italian teams, claimed her greater experience and qualifications should have secured her place in the Olympics. Despite her credentials, the CAS judge concluded it was improbable that the head coach would compromise team performance for familial reasons, stating, “did not find it likely that the head coach of a national team would agree to include an athlete in the Olympic team that is inferior to another athlete, simply to help a member of the federation to include family into the Olympic roster.”
While the judge acknowledged Romei’s apprehensions, he ultimately found the evidence inadequate to challenge Mariani’s selection, citing that her inclusion as a reserve in the women’s team, led by Stefania Constantini, the 2022 Beijing Olympics gold medalist in mixed doubles, was justifiable.
The women’s curling tournament at Cortina d’Ampezzo is set to commence on Thursday, where Mariani will stand by as a reserve for the Italian team.
For more information on the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, visit AP Olympics.
