Olympic gold and silver medallist Ksenia Stolbova is taking the iOC to court in Switzerland to try to be allowed to compete at Pyeongchang 2018 ©YouTube

Russian skaters banned from Pyeongchang 2018 without ever having failed a drugs test are set to take legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the Swiss courts, it has been revealed.

Figure skaters Ksenia Stolbova and Ivan Bukin both plan to challenge the decision, Figure Skating Federation of Russia President (FFKKR) Alexander Gorshkov has claimed.

They could be joined by speed skaters Pavel Kulizhnikov, Denis Yuskov and Victor An, also barred from competing at Pyeongchang 2018 by the IOC.

"The suit will be filed in the Swiss Civil Court, not in the Sports Arbitration Court," Gorshkov told Russia's official state news agency RIA Novosti.

The skaters want the court to force the IOC to lift the ban on them so they can compete as part of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at Pyeongchang 2018, due to start on February 9.

At the very least, they want the IOC to tell them why are not allowed to compete. 

Stolbova and partner Fedor Klimov, winner of the Olympic silver medal in the pairs and gold in the team event at Sochi 2014, took the silver medal at the European Championships in Moscow earlier this month.

Ivan Bukin, right, with partner Alexandra Stepanova, won a bronze medal at the ISU European Championships in Moscow earlier this month but has been told by the IOC he is not allowed to compete at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images
Ivan Bukin, right, with partner Alexandra Stepanova, won a bronze medal at the ISU European Championships in Moscow earlier this month but has been told by the IOC he is not allowed to compete at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

Bukin, who competes in ice dance with partner Alexandra Stepanova, won a European Championships bronze medal this month.

The IOC did not publicly reveal why Stolbova and Bukin are not allowed to compete at Pyeongchang 2018.

It is believed, though, they are alleged to have received a cocktail of banned drugs known as the "The Duchess" and developed by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow before he fled and provided the evidence which helped to expose Russia’s alleged state-sponsored doping programme.

An, the winner of three Olympic gold medals in short track speed skating at Sochi 2014, is the most high-profile Russian athlete to be prevented from competing at Pyeongchang 2018.

A former South Korean, he was expected to be one of the biggest stars of the Games. 

"Athletes intend to challenge their non-disclosure to the Olympics, and at the moment lawyers are considering the possibility of filing lawsuits," Alexei Kravtsov, President of the Russian Skating Union, told the country's official state news agency TASS.

The IOC OAR Invitation Review Panel, the body set up to decide which Russian athletes are eligible to participate at Pyeongchang 2018, yesterday confirmed that 169 athletes will be registered for the Games.