Four other Russian bobsleigh athletes - Aleksey Voevod, Alexander Kasyanov, Aleksey Pushkarev and Ilvira Huzin – have also been suspended in a measure that appears to bolster the authority of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Last month, the Moscow City Court refused to acknowledge a CAS decision confirming Zubkov had been disqualified from the 2014 Winter Olympic Games after he was found to have been a knowing participant in the country's "systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system at the event.

The Moscow City Court claimed that the CAS ruling should not apply on Russian territory and Zubkov should be allowed to keep his medals.

This was seen as a direct challenge to the authority of CAS and the IOC.

In the meantime the Russian Olympic Committee has appealed against the Moscow court ruling – the legitimacy of which was rejected by the IOC -  claiming that it could lead to further sanctions against Russia in the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The IBSF decision means Zubkov will not be able to attend official events under the auspices of the International Federation for the period of his suspension, affecting his ability to carry out his role as head of the RBF. 

A statement by the IBSF tonight read:

"Based on the reasoned awards issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) by which the CAS partially upheld the decision of the IOC Disciplinary Commission of 23 November 2017 the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) in accordance with the IBSF Anti-Doping Rules, Art. 7.9, provisionally suspends the following Russian athletes and officials as of 13 December 2018:

"Aleksandr Zubkov, Alexey Voevoda, Alexander Kasjanov, Aleksei Pushkarev and Ilvir Khuzin.

"The athletes respectively officials and the Russian Bobsleigh Federation have been informed about the provisional suspension accordingly."

"The Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and confirmed by CAS constitute also ADRVs under the Anti-Doping Rules of the IBSF.

"The IBSF is tasked with the Result Management outside of the Olympic Games.

"This process is fully in progress.

"As soon as the Result Management has been completed the IBSF will issue further information."

Kasyanov, Pushkarev and Khuzin received a temporary suspension from IBSF at the end of November 2017, but the IBSF independent disciplinary panel promptly reversed the decision and the athletes were able to compete in the World Cup competition.

The IOC Disciplinary Commission under the leadership of Denis Oswald found Zubkov, Voevod, Kasyanov, Pushkarev and Khuzin guilty of violating the anti-doping rules and cancelled their results from the Sochi Olympics, prohibiting them from participating in the Olympics for life.

The CAS generally supported this conclusion, however, although it ruled against lifelong suspension.

At Sochi 2014, Zubkov and Voyevoda won gold medals in two-man and four-man bobsleigh.

Kasyanov twice took fourth place - in a double with Maxim Belugin and in a four with Belugin, Khuzin and Pushkarev

According to Russia's official state news agency TASS, Voyevoda has now retired from competition.

Kasyanov, Khuzin and Pushkarev have continued to compete for the Russian team.