Dec. 04--Vanessa-Mae -- the pop violinist who became an unlikely competitor at the Olympics last winter, then was banned from her sport -- has taken her case to an international court.
The skier filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday, arguing that she was not "an active or knowing participant" in manipulating several races that allowed her to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
Much of the world knows Vanessa-Mae as an attractive musician who has sold millions of records. Competing for Thailand under her father's surname -- Vanakorn -- she finished a distant last in the giant slalom at Sochi.
Last month, the international ski federation ruled that she and her management had participated in fixing four last-minute qualifiers in Slovenia. An investigation found the events had been staged in irregular weather conditions and that skiers listed in the final results had not been present.
Officials handed down a four-year ban and nullified the qualifiers, which could ultimately wipe Vanakorn from the Sochi records.
The skier's appeal "seeks the annulment of both decisions," according to a CAS statement. No hearing date has been announced.
