BEIJING (REUTERS) - The United States figure skating team have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to rule that they can receive their team silver medals before the end of the Beijing Olympics, a source close to the proceedings told Reuters on Saturday (Feb 19).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided no medals for the competition - won by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team - would be presented until the doping case of Russian 15-year-old Kamila Valieva had been resolved.

That matter could take weeks or months.

The CAS director general Matthieu Reeb said the hearing was underway and that he expected a decision to be rendered later that night. Reeb added that the application had not been filed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, but by the nine members of the team.

Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou finished second behind the ROC in the competition on Feb 7. Japan finished third in the event, while Canada were fourth.

A source close to the proceedings told Reuters that the US had appealed that IOC decision and asked sport's highest court CAS to rule before the end of the Games, which end on Sunday.

Valieva tested positive for a banned heart drug after the Russian national championships on Dec 25 but the result was not revealed until Feb 8, the day after she helped the ROC win the team competition.

Valieva, now back in Russia, was cleared to compete in the women's single event by CAS, but stumbled to fourth place amid all the drama.

The IOC said it will not comment on an ongoing procedure.