Russian and Belarusian athletes will be banned from this year's Summer EYOF in Banská Bystrica ©EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) has decided here to extend its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes to this year's Summer edition of the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), and "temporarily" prevent officials from both countries from attending Executive Committee and Commissions' meetings.

The EOC said it had taken the decisions "to protect the integrity of the EOC’s activities in the current exceptional context."

Banská Bystrica in Slovakia is set to host the Summer EYOF from July 24 to 30.

Earlier this month, Russia and Belarus were banned from the ongoing Winter EYOF in Vuokatti following the invasion of Ukraine.

Under the EOC Executive Committee's latest measures, Russian and Belarusian members will also not be invited to its or the 12 Commissions' meetings in a temporary move.

This impacts nine officials, including ex-officio Executive Board member George Katulin, the former secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus and chief executive of the Minsk 2019 European Games Organising Committee.

Russian figure skater Jonathan Guerreiro, vice-chairperson of the EOC Athletes' Commission and athlete representative on the European Union and International Relations Commission, is also affected.

Russian figure skater and EOC Athletes' Commission vice-chairperson Jonathan Guerreiro, left, will temporarily not be invited to meetings of the body ©Getty Images
Russian figure skater and EOC Athletes' Commission vice-chairperson Jonathan Guerreiro, left, will temporarily not be invited to meetings of the body ©Getty Images

Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed to insidethegames the sanctions would not impact the membership and honorary membership of its Russian officials, claiming that its "sanctions suggested exclusively address the Russian Government".

The IOC had called on International Federations and other event organisers to ban Russia and Belarus outright from sporting competitions.

The EOC heeded its call for the Winter EYOF, making the decision to prevent the participation of both countries "to safeguard the well-being of such young athletes, as well as protect the integrity of the event".

Its Executive Committee has now implemented the same sanctions on Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials for the Summer EYOF, following consultation with the Organising Committee.

Both countries have been increasingly frozen out of the sporting world since the widely-condemned attack on Ukraine.

The United Nations has reported that more than 3.4 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its attack on February 24, and at least 902 civilians have been killed, although it is feared that the true figure is far higher.

Ukraine has sent a team of 26 athletes to the Winter EYOF in Vuokatti, with EOC President Spyros Capralos praising the efforts of several National Olympic Committees in ensuring that this was possible.