By far the largest proportion of out-of-competition testing in the six FIS categories of competition was directed at cross-country skiing, which drew 442 of the 1,238 urine tests, 145 of the 293 blood tests, 229 of the 404 blood/urine tests for erythropoietin starters, and 700 of the 1,129 tests for athletes’ blood passports.

Alpine skiing came next, with 294 urine tests, 90 blood tests, 91 blood/urine tests and 262 passport tests.

In terms of in-competition FIS tests, cross-country skiing drew 181 of the 510 urine tests, 61 of the blood/urine tests and 44 of the 46 passport tests.

In December 2016, the FIS provisionally suspended six Russian cross-country skiers linked to doping violations during Sochi 2014, including Alexander Legkov, gold medallist in the 50 kilometres freestyle event.

In November 2017, Legkov was disqualified for doping offences by the International Olympic Committee and his Sochi 2014 results annulled.

Last month, however, the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled there was insufficient evidence that Legkov had broken anti-doping rules and the decision was overturned.

But a CAS ruling hours before the Opening Ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018 dismissed the appeals of 45 Russian athletes seeking to compete in the Olympics, meaning Legkov and his compatriot Sergei Ustyugov, 2017 world champion in the 30km event, were barred from competing.

The Olympic season testing programme was run in close collaboration with the Taskforce set up by the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency before Pyeongchang 2018. 

This included a close collaboration with various National Anti-Doping Agencies.

Testing during the period of the Winter Games falls under the authority of the IOC.