The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cleared the way for several dozen athletes to compete at next year's London Olympics on Thursday, October 6, after ruling against the validity of a controversial International Olympic Committee (IOC) eligibility rule, Reuters reported.

Rule 45 banned athletes from participating at the next Games if they have been suspended for six months or longer in the past, but the regulation was rejected as invalid and unenforceable by CAS.

According to RIA Novosti, the court’s decision opens the door for a number of banned Russian biathletes to compete at their home Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.