International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Tuesday defended a decision to ban Russian athletes from the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The IOC has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee over rampant doping and is only allowing clean athletes to compete as neutrals, each formally called an "Olympic Athlete from Russia." Last weekend, the IOC cleared 169 athletes for the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Winter Games.

Among those not cleared is Seoul-born short track speed skater Victor An, who has claimed innocence amid doping suspicions and demanded an explanation from the IOC in an open letter.

Bach said the IOC's decision was reached by following a thorough process.

"The independent (review) group has made this selection, taking into account information about individual athletes," Bach told reporters at Jinbu Station in PyeongChang, after arriving in the 2018 Winter Games host city via train from Incheon International Airport.

"This has then led to this invitation list of 169 athletes."

Bach insisted that the decision in December to suspend the ROC was due to "the systemic manipulation of anti-doping system" during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russian city of Sochi. He said the IOC has given a "privilege" to those Russian athletes who can be proven clean.

An, who won three gold medals for South Korea in 2006 before adding three more for Russia in 2014, would have been a huge hit among short track fans in PyeongChang 2018, the first Winter Games to take place in the country.

Born Ahn Hyun-soo, the decorated star switched allegiance to Russia in 2011 amid the fallout from bitter factional feuds within South Korean skating. He became a national hero in his adopted country by becoming the first Russian short tracker to win an Olympic gold.

In an open letter to Bach last week, An wrote it was "outrageous" that the IOC hasn't given any concrete reason for his exclusion.

"During my entire career journey in short track, I've never given a reason to doubt my honesty and my integrity, especially when it comes to my victories, which I achieved with nothing but my strength and dedication," An wrote, according to Russian media.

An, 32, also lamented losing a chance to skate in his native country, saying competing in PyeongChang would have been "an especially significant part of my career for several reasons." (Yonhap)