MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russian figure skater Yevgeniya Medvedeva said on Thursday that everyone at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea would know that she and other athletes are representing Russia although the national team would be participating in the Games under the neutral status.

"Indeed, we are not yet at the Olympics," the two-time world champion in figure skating told a news conference. "Although we will be participating under the white flag, we are still the Olympic Athletes of Russia and we are representing our country."

"Everything has been decided and it is a great honor to have a chance of representing our country," Medvedeva told journalists after short program competitions of the 2018 ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Moscow.

Medvedeva showed the second best result in short program today having earned from judges 78.57 points. Her compatriot Alina Zagitova showed the best result having received impressive 80.27 points. Italy’s Carolina Kostner is third with the result of 78.30 points.

On December 5, the IOC Executive Board announced its decision to suspend the whole Russian national team from taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang over multiple doping abuse allegations.

The IOC, however, stated that doping-free athletes from Russia might go to the 2018 Olympic Games under the classification of neutral athletes, or the OAR status, which stands for ‘Olympic Athlete from Russia.’ The IOC reserved the right to the final word in regard to Russian athletes, who will go to PyeongChang under the neutral status.

The final composition of the Russian delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics will be announced before January 28 by a special IOC panel, chaired by Executive Board’s member Nicole Hoevertsz.

Following the announcement, official invitations will be forwarded to Russian athletes, who were granted the right for competing under the neutral flag at the 2018 Winter Games.

The upcoming Olympics, which are the 23rd Winter Games, will take place in South Korea’s PyeongChang on February 9-25, 2018.