The FIS have ordered that several coaches be fired and that the national governing body pay a fine of €125,000 (£104,000/$152,000) or they will be banned for four years.

The draconian sanctions have been threatened after a number of top Russian skiers were involved in a series of doping scandals.

Among the coaches that the FIS want sacked are Anatoly Chepalov, trainer of triple Olympic champion Julia Chepalova (pictured), who tested positive for the blood-booster Erythropoietin (EPO) in 2009.

The FIS also issued a "strong recommendation" that Russia appoint new leaders and coaches to build a doping-free ski team ahead of Sochi.

Other coaches and medical advisers to three other skiers caught using the banned blood-booster EPO - Evgeni Dementiev, Natalia Matveeva and Nina Rysina - should be "removed indefinitely" from their jobs, the FIS said.

Shortly before the start of the Olympics in Vancouver earlier this year, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge voiced his concern at the high number of doping cases among Russian biathletes and cross- country skiers.

He urged Russian authorities to get tough on drug cheating, saying he had raised the issue with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and senior sports officials. Russia have until November 1 to conform to the FIS measures or risk the four years suspension.

Under FIS rules, a four-year suspension is allowed if eight anti-doping violations are committed in a 12-month period by athletes or others affiliated with a national association. FIS said Russian skiers failed a "high number" of drug tests, and criticised the federation's "lack of adherence" to anti-doping rules. Since 2009 at least six nordic skiers from Russia have been suspended for two years for doping.

Apart from Chepalova, 2006 Olympic pursuit champion Yevgeny Dementiev, and Alena Sidko, sprint bronze medallist in Turin, tested positive for EPO.

If Russian skiers were banned it would be a huge blow to the country's medal hopes in Sochi.

Russia won only 15 medals in Vancouver, but seven of them were won by skiers, including all three golds.

The FIS said that it wanted "to send a message to the Russian Ski Association, in particular, and to the world at large, that the FIS Council views anti-doping compliance seriously and will not hesitate to act appropriately where it is necessary to do so."

The FIS claimed that the Russian Ski Association has "expressed its sincerest remorse for the situation and informed FIS about the serious work that has been initiated at the very highest level in Russia in the fight against doping."

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