Russia said today the Court of Arbitration for Sport was under pressure from Olympic officials when it rejected a last-minute bid from 47 Russian athletes to take part in the Pyeongchang Winter Games. "It's difficult for CAS to make decisions against the backdrop of an earlier pressure," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko told Interfax news agency, referring to objections from the International Olympic Committee. He said that if the Russian athletes implicated in doping had been allowed to take part in the Games now "it would have caused shock."