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47 Russian athletes and coaches banned by International Olympic Committee from participating the winter Olympics games have seen their appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports dismissed. 

The group, who recently had a life ban from the Olympics on them overturned by the CAS, are contesting the decision of the IOC for not giving them invitation to the games.

The IOC said it refused the group, which includes 28 athletes, invitation because though their life ban was overturned by the CAS due to insufficient evidence that they had benefited from a state-sponsored doping scheme, there is still a case of suspicion of doping which was not lifted by the CAS judgement.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and former sports minister, Mr Vitaly Mutko, who is also banned from the Olympics for life by the IOC, said the decision was understandable but disappointing and a competition in Russia for the banned athletes would be organized.

"It is difficult for CAS to take a decision in the light of previous pressure. If they had allowed [the invitations] it would have been a shock," he said.

In deciding to uphold the ban on entry to the Pyeongchang Games, the CAS panel did not find that the IOC process was "discriminatory, arbitrary or unfair" as argued by the contesters that they were wrongfully excluded from the games.

Russia is banned from the games, for a state-sponsored doping scheme during 2014 winter games but 169 Russians will compete as independents, competing under the "Olympic athletes from Russia" banner and will not fly the Russian flag nor have the Russian anthem played.