"The status of our country and athletes has an utmost importance for us. In the light of the current situation we believe that the restoration of ROC's membership will be the main outcome of the Olympic Games finishing today," the statement read.
In December, the IOC suspended the ROC over the alleged "systemic manipulation" of the anti-doping system in Russia. The allegations have been denied by the Russian authorities. As a result, however, the IOC said that only "clean" athletes could compete in the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag as Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR).
READ MORE: Russian Olympic Delegation Says it Apologized to IOC for Doping Violations
Earlier in the day, the IOC Executive Board said in a statement that ROC's membership should not be restored until the closure of the Games in Pyeongchang. Thus, the IOC did not allow the Russian delegation to walk under Russian flag at the closing ceremony.
The IOC decided to restore ROC's membership after the Olympics when all doping samples will be checked and there will be no positive samples.
Commenting on the decision IOC's President Thomas Bach said that two failed doping tests of Russian curling athlete Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva were key reasons that influenced the decision.
