PYEONGCHANG /South Korea/, February 25. /TASS/. The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on Sunday did not allow Russian athletes to carry the national flag during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.

The committee also ruled that the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee’s membership will remain in force.

In its decision, the IOC executive board said it decided "not to lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) for the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang2018."

"Therefore, no delegation of the ROC will have taken part in these Olympic Winter Games," the decision reads.

According to the statement, the OAR (Olympic Athlete From Russia) delegation as such "respected the decision of the IOC EB taken on 5 December, 2017." However, two failed doping tests by Russian Olympic athletes "prevented the IOC from even considering lifting the suspension for the closing ceremony."

"Subject to the continued compliance with the IOC EB decision of 5 December 2017, the suspension of the ROC is considered to be lifted once the Doping Free Sports Unit (DFSU) has confirmed that there are no additional Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) by members of the OAR delegation," the statement reads.

The decision was unanimously supported by the 132nd IOC Session currently under way in PyeongChang.

Earlier, the Olympic Athletes of Russia Implementation Review Panel head, Nicole Hoevertsz, told the IOC session in PyeongChang that Russian athletes should remain in the status of the Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) until the Olympics are over.

The ROC membership remains suspended since December 5, 2017.