Jackson, who piloted the British four-man sled at Sochi 2014 which is in line to rise from fifth to third after the disqualification of two Russian teams, accused the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) of being "weak" and "arguing against itself" before slamming the situation as an "absolute joke".

Pengilly, a former skeleton athlete who is also the IBSF vice-president, accused the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) of "dodging responsibility". 

Russian sliders including Alexander Tretiakov and Elena Nikitina have been banned from the Olympic Games for life and retrospectively disqualified from Sochi 2014 for their involvement in doping and sample tampering at their home Games.

But a world governing body attempt to provisionally suspend the implicated athletes pending CAS hearings was thwarted by the IBSF's own anti-doping hearing panel, which ruled that the suspensions were "not compatible with the principles of international law".

CAS announced last week that they did not have any jurisdiction to intervene, meaning that the athletes are still free to compete and win medals.

"A circus is a good clean way of putting it, an absolute joke," Jackson, who retired in 2016, told BBC Sport. 

"Morally I don't think any of the Russians should be sliding because of the IOC ruling.

"Winter sports are not putting up a strong enough fight for clean athletes, they are letting politics away from the sport takeover, it is a complete mess.

"It makes the IBSF look really weak and vulnerable that it is arguing against itself.

"Two elements fighting against each other and taking each other to court must have alarm bells ringing internally."

Pengilly, the only IOC member to publicly oppose the IOC Executive Board's stance on Russia before Rio 2016, told insidethegames that athletes are being "let down by the CAS sporting system and our [the IBSF's] own rules". 

CAS claimed that they were unable to intervene because IBSF anti-doping proceedings are still pending and because the IBSF statutes and regulations do not stipulate that CAS can intervene on internal matters. 

"These Russian athletes have cheated and should not be competing and continuing to defraud sport," Pengilly added to BBC Sport.

"There is a significant volume of evidence that proves.

"We set up an independent legal structure - a principle central to democratic functioning and sound governance; and a principle which also reduces the power of the IBSF.

"Regrettably, the independent panel didn't take into account important forensic evidence and applied principles of criminal law when this is a civil law case. 

"Therefore, we disagreed and appealed to CAS, who have subsequently dodged responsibility and avoided hearing the appeal. 

"What more can we do?

"I am frustrated and saddened that cheats are being painted as victims and our sporting legal system is letting down clean athletes."

Russian silver medal-winning lugers Tatyana Ivanova and Albert Demchenko are also free to compete despite being banned by the IOC.

Unlike the IBSF, however, the International Luge Federation (FIL) leadership have consciously decided not to impose sanctions. 

The IOC have also said that they "could not understand nor accept the conclusions of the IBSF doping hearing panel and FIL's Disciplinary Commission".

CAS appeals by individual Russian athletes against the IOC suspensions are expected to be resolved by the end of January.