Stanislav Pozdnyakov revealed Russia has spent around one billion rubles on the country's preparations for Pyeongchang 2018 ©Wikipedia

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has spent around one billion rubles (£13.2 million/$17.4 million/€14.8 million) on the country's preparations for Pyeongchang 2018, an official has claimed, despite uncertainty over the extent of their participation in South Korea.

The delay in the completion of two International Olympic Committee (IOC) investigations into alleged institutional doping in Russia has left doubt over the extent of whether Russia will even be able to compete at Pyeongchang 2018.

Conclusions drawn by both the Schmid and Oswald investigations will be used to decide to what extent the world's largest country will participate or not at the Winter Olympic Games from February 9 until 25 next year. 

The IOC opted only to rubber-stamp decisions made by individual International Federations over Russian eligibility at Rio 2016.

The International Association of Athletics Federations and the International Paralympic Committee each suspended Russia and barred them.

ROC First Deputy President Stanislav Pozdnyakov has claimed the country's build-up for Pyeongchang 2018 has been unaffected.

"Preparations for the 2018 Olympics are proceeding as expected, but with traditional problems that invariably accompany such large-scale events," Pozdnyakov said, according to official state news agency TASS.

"We’ve spent about one billion rubles on preparing the national teams.

"The ROC has coped with all of its commitments so far.

"We will help our Federations make a decent performance."

Delays in two IOC investigations into alleged institutional doping in Russia has left doubt over the extent of the country's participation at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images
Delays in two IOC investigations into alleged institutional doping in Russia has left doubt over the extent of the country's participation at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

Evidence provided by former Moscow Laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov formed the centrepiece of last year's World Anti-Doping Agency-commissioned McLaren Report, that alleged up to 15 home Russian medal winners at Sochi 2014 benefited from the illegal tampering of urine samples.

The IOC have repeatedly expressed hope that the Schmid and Oswald investigations would be completed by the "start of the winter season" in October.

When contacted by insidethegames, however, a spokesperson answered "nothing new yet" when asked if there was a more precise time-frame or other requirements.

United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive Scott Blackmun called on the international community to act sooner rather than later on allegations of Russian doping last week.

"The time for action is now," Blackmun said in an address to the USOC Assembly.

"I believe the IOC is pursuing the findings of the McLaren Report, both in earnest and in good faith, and I believe the IOC when they say there will be consequences for the bad actors.

"But at some point, justice delayed is justice denied, and we are fast approaching that point."