By Duncan Mackay

Koji Murofushi with London 2012 medalApril 9 - Japan's Koji Murofushi is tomorrow due to attend a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing in Lausanne as he tries to overturn the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to disqualify him from a place on its Athletes' Commission. 


The Athens 2004 hammer gold medallist had his election blocked, along with Chinese Tapei's Mu-yen Chu, the former Olympic taekwondo champion, after allegedly breaching strict campaign rules during the election held at last year's Games in London. 

Chu has already appealed unsuccessfully to CAS.

Murofushi, who won a bronze medal at London 2012, has been accused of breaking the rules that prohibit giving gifts, putting up posters and campaigning in the athletes dining hall.

Among the rules Murofushi is alleged to have broken is that the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) had included a phrase in a Japanese language handbook that urged athletes to vote for him.

According to IOC rules, materials with language not authorised by the IOC cannot be distributed.

After a warning from the IOC, the JOC collected hundreds of handbooks from its athletes and gave them to officials.

Following the controversial election, it was announced that skeet shooter Danka Barteková of Slovakia, Australian rower James Tomkins, swimmer Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe and French canoeist Tony Estanguet had won places on the IOC Athletes' Commission.

But if Murofushi successfully overturns the IOC exclusion it would be a big boost for Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics as there is currently only one Japanese member, Tsunekazu Takeda.

Two days have been set aside for the hearing, but a decision is not expected until next month. 

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