Statement by the Baltics Olympic Committees on IOC Youth Athlete Participation Recommendation

19.12.2025
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19.12.2025
The Presidents of the National Olympic Committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have sent a joint letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, expressing deep concern regarding the IOC’s recent recommendation to allow youth athletes holding Russian and Belarusian passports to participate in international competitions.

The concern follows the IOC’s announcement advising international sports governing bodies to permit the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian youth teams and athletes into international sport with their full national identity, including national flags and anthems. In its statement, the IOC noted that athletes have “a fundamental right to access sport across the world, and to compete free from political interference or pressure from governmental organizations.”

While reaffirming their full commitment to the Olympic Movement and its mission to inspire young people through sport, the Baltic Olympic Committees stress that the credibility of Olympism depends on the consistent defence of peace, human dignity, and respect for international law. They underline that political neutrality must never become a substitute for moral responsibility.

Read the joint statement here