
The door opens. Belarusian athletes will be allowed to participate in both events of the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) this year. The Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) has decided to encourage their presence as neutral athletesfor the Winter EYOF in Bakuriani (February 9-16, 2025) and the Summer EYOF in Skopje (July 20-26, 2025). "Participation will be subject to strict criteria, including the absence of flags, anthems and other national emblems related to Belarus", specifies the authority, which will now begin discussions with the relevant international federations. The EOC Executive Committee had already expressed its wish to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes in 2023, declaring then: “The EOC appreciates the importance of removing barriers to sport as a unifying force. This is particularly true in Europe, which serves to bring together diverse people from different nations. The EOC does not believe that athletes should be prevented from competing solely on the basis of the passport they hold.” This position is still being rejected by federations such as the International Biathlon Union (IBU), which is firmly opposed to any reintegration at a time when war is still raging in Ukraine.