MOSCOW, Russia – The Winter Youth Olympics stage in Gangwon, South Korea, will be devoid of young athletes from Russia and Belarus, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Wednesday. Despite a March recommendation allowing individual neutral athletes from both nations to compete under specific conditions, no qualifiers emerged before the December deadline.
This marks the latest development in the ongoing saga surrounding Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in international sports following the invasion of Ukraine. In March, the IOC proposed a controversial path for individual athletes to compete as neutrals, emphasizing their lack of active support for the military operation and adherence to a strict neutrality policy.
However, the stringent conditions and ongoing geopolitical tensions appear to have dissuaded young athletes from Russia and Belarus from pursuing qualification for the Winter Youth Olympics. The deadline for qualification passed in December, solidifying their absence from the Games scheduled for January 19-February 1, 2024.