Zhukov yesterday revealed plans to relinquish his role as President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) at the end of the year, which would see him lose his status as a member of the IOC.

The 60-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister departed the first IOC Coordination Commission visit here two days early to attend a key meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the Presidential Council on Developing Physical Culture and Sports, held in the city of Kovrov in the central Vladimir Region yesterday, Zhukov said he would leave his position as head of the ROC to concentrate on his work in the country’s Parliament.

He is expected to resign in December, with double Olympic swimming gold medallist Alexander Popov the early favourite to take over.

This would force the IOC to choose a new head of the Coordination Commission for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Chinese capital in five-and-a-half years’ time ahead of the second visit early next year.

Samaranch, elected IOC vice-president during the Session ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, refused to be drawn, however, on who might succeed Zhukov.

"The IOC takes these Coordination Commissions very, very seriously," he said.

"We think it is an extraordinary tool for the success of the organisation of the Games, so if that news is confirmed I’m sure that the President Thomas Bach will make the right decisions and an immediate decision to appoint a new head of the Coordination Commission.

"It always needs a full executive body and a chair and when the time comes we will take care of the situation."

Putin said Zhukov had "done a lot for sport" in Russia but stressed it would be "imperative to consult Mr Bach on these issues before we do anything or decide on anything".

"The Olympic cycle has ended, and the new one is just beginning," he added.

"This is certainly correct, and we will support it in every way.

"Mr Zhukov has done a lot for sports, and I hope he will do even more."

Zhukov was considered a controversial choice as chair as his appointment came amid the Russian doping scandal, which saw the nation's track and field athletes banned from international competition.

Their participation at Rio 2016 was then restricted as several International Federations opted to exclude athletes from Russia from the event following the publication of the damning McLaren Report.

Zhukov attended an IOC meeting in July, where it was decided that a blanket ban on Russian athletes at the Games in the Brazilian city would not be put in place.

The ROC President was elected to the IOC at the 2013 Session in Buenos Aires, where Tokyo was chosen as the host of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.