The case revolves around Troy Billington, an athlete from the Virgin Islands, who sought to compete in the Skeleton event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City after failing to qualify through the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup allocated eight Olympic slots, with only one athlete per country eligible. Billington finished 11th but argued he effectively ranked 9th due to multiple athletes from two countries in the top eight. When South Africa withdrew its athlete, who had placed 6th, Billington claimed the vacant slot should go to him. The FIBT denied his request, stating only the top eight could advance, regardless of withdrawals. Billington appealed to the FIBT Internal Court of Arbitration, which upheld the decision but suggested he could participate as a "forerunner." The Virgin Islands Olympic Committee entered him as an Administrative Official to grant him access to the Olympic Village. On February 17, 2002, Billington, supported by his national Olympic committee, filed an application with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc Division, seeking to fill the vacant slot and requesting preliminary relief for credentials and training access.
The CAS panel, composed of arbitrators from Australia, Germany, and Finland, held a hearing on February 17, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) participating by phone. The panel dismissed Billington's application on February 18, citing the FIBT's strict qualification rules, which did not allow for lower-ranked athletes to replace withdrawals. The panel emphasized that the FIBT had followed its rules correctly and that CAS lacked jurisdiction to override these criteria without a valid competitor’s entry form. Billington had signed an entry form as an official, not a competitor, which further undermined his case. The panel referenced a prior decision, Gaia Bassani-Antivari v. IOC, which interpreted the jurisdictional requirements conjunctively, meaning both conditions—a dispute covered by the Olympic Charter and an entry form—had to be met.
Even if jurisdiction had been established, the panel would have dismissed Billington’s appeal on its merits. The FIBT’s International Skeleton Rules clearly stated only the top eight Challenge Cup athletes qualified, with no provision for bumping up lower-ranked athletes. The panel distinguished this case from others where bump-up policies existed, noting the unique two-tiered qualification system for skeleton. The ruling underscored the importance of adhering to established rules and quotas, highlighting the challenges athletes face when seeking exceptions in international sports competitions. The decision also recommended revisiting the rules to address potential unfairness in tight deadlines or discriminatory scenarios. Ultimately, the CAS ad hoc Division upheld the FIBT's decision, dismissing Billington's application and reinforcing the integrity of the qualification framework.