47 Russians lose late court bid to compete at Olympics

In December, the IOC had suspended Russia over a state-sponsored doping conspiracy culminating in its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The CAS drew criticism last week when it lifted life Olympic bans imposed on 28 Russians. But when 15 of them applied to take part in Pyeongchang, the IOC refused to give them invitations.

Now, forty-seven Russian athletes and staff implicated in doping have lost a last-minute court bid to take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

"The applications filed by Russian athletes and coaches have been dismissed," CAS said in a statement, issued just hours before the Games' opening ceremony.

Russia's team has been suspended from the Olympics over a systemic doping scandal, but the International Olympic Committee has allowed a group of Russians considered as clean athletes to take part.

Earlier, agroup of 13 Russians lost a last-ditch bid to beat their country's doping ban.