2018 Paralympics: Russia could miss Games, says IPC president Sir Philip Craven

Russia won 30 of the 72 gold medals available at the 2014 Paralympics

Russian athletes may still be banned at next year's Winter Paralympics, says the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Sir Philip Craven also said the achievements of athletes at the Sochi Games in 2014 have been "tarnished" by the Russian doping scandal.

Asked if Russia will have a team in Pyeongchang, Craven said: "I don't know and I don't think many people do.

"I'm not looking for someone to say sorry, but let's get it fixed."

Russian athletes were banned from all Paralympic competition - starting with the Rio Games - following the publication of the initial McLaren report in July.

The second report found more than 1,000 Russians may have benefited from a state-sponsored doping programme over a four-year period, including London 2012 and Sochi 2014.

Craven, speaking before this week's IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, which will not feature a Russian team, insisted the ban was the "right thing to do".

However, he said he wants Russia to return in time for athletes to be eligible for the final qualification phase for next year's Paralympics in South Korea.

"Russia is a great sporting nation and without them being here they are missed in a sporting sense," he told BBC Sport.

"But we can't have nations competing when their performances have been tarnished by what's gone on before."

In December, the IPC set up an independent taskforce which has set the Russian Paralympic authorities a number of conditions which must be met before their athletes can return to competitive disability sport events run by IPC.

Of the six Winter Paralympic sports, only wheelchair curlers are able to compete internationally in Paralympic qualification events as their sport is run by the World Curling Federation.

The other five - alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, snowboard and ice sledge hockey - are all governed by IPC.