June 19--Vanessa-Mae -- that unusual combination of pop violinist and ski racer -- has won a partial victory against allegations that she cheated to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Officials claimed last year that Vanessa-Mae, a British citizen who competed for her native Thailand under the name Vanessa Vanakorn, had earned her way to the Games through several last-minute races in Slovenia that were created and manipulated specifically to get her the necessary points.
The international ski federation banned her for four years and suggested that her results be erased from the Sochi records.
On Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the ban should be overturned because it could find no evidence she knew about any wrongdoing. But the ruling body confirmed that the races were fixed and that she should remain ineligible for the 2014 Games, where she finished 11 seconds behind the rest of the field in the giant slalom.
Away from sports, Vanessa-Mae is internationally known as a musician who has sold millions of records.
