The decision over the Winter Olympics participation of 47 Russians will be announced nine hours before Friday’s opening ceremony.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is deliberating over whether the International Olympic Committee must invite the Russians as the fallout from the Sochi 2014 doping scandal continues.

A CAS statement read: “The CAS Secretary General, Matthieu Reeb, will announce the decisions taken by the CAS panel in the following matters at the Pyeongchang 2018 Main Press Centre

(Pyeongchang room) at 1100am Korea Standard Time (0200GMT) on February 9, 2018.”

It is unclear whether the IOC could still then refuse to invite the athletes.

Speaking on Sunday, IOC president Thomas Bach said: “With regard to the Russian cases, we also have made it very clear that the absence of a sanction by CAS does not mean that you’re entitled to receive an invitation from the IOC.

“Receiving this invitation is a privilege for a clean Russian athlete.”

And CAS ruled earlier on Thursday it had “no jurisdiction” to rule over the decision of the IOC not to invite six other Russian athletes and seven members of the Russian athlete entourage.

Whether that provides an indication of the announcement which can be expected on Friday is also uncertain.

The IOC in December determined that Russian athletes who proved they were clean would be allowed to compete as neutrals in the Games.

The Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR) will compete under the Olympic flag and the Olympic anthem will be played at any medal ceremonies they feature in.

The OAR is the third largest delegation after the United States and Canada and the 168-strong team could increase if CAS rules in their favour and the IOC accede to the court’s request.

If the IOC does not abide by the CAS decision, then that would undermine sport’s highest court and cause major repercussions.

The IOC and CAS are already at loggerheads. The IOC in December banned 43 Russian athletes for life from the Olympics, but CAS overturned the suspensions of 28 athletes and partially upheld 11 other appeals.

Among the athletes making the case is South Korea-born Victor Ahn, the most decorated short-track speedskater in Olympic history with six gold medals. He became a Russian citizen to represent the hosts at the Sochi Games.

Skeleton’s Elena Nikitina, who was stripped of her bronze medal from Sochi 2014, is also subject of the CAS case.