IOC allows young athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own flags

According to glavcom.ua: The International Olympic Committee allows athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international youth competitions under their own flags. The decision does not affect competitions held in Russia, but athletes from that country, as well as from Belarus, will compete under a neutral status. The IOC warns that young athletes should not suffer due to political decisions made by their countries' leadership.

This new policy from the IOC aims to support young athletes and to separate the sports sphere from politics. At the same time, Russian and Belarusian officials remain under sanctions and cannot gain accreditation for international sporting events.