The Netherlands has denied visas to three Russian gymnasts, leaving them unable to compete at next week's World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, according to Russia's governing body. Reigning women's all-around world champion Angelina Melnikova is among the trio, which also includes Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation (RGF) has called the decision "discrimination" and a "violation" of the principles of equal competition, accusing Dutch authorities of deliberately trying to keep the "strongest gymnasts" out of the event. In a statement, the RGF said the Embassy of the Netherlands in Moscow had notified the visa centre of its refusal to issue visas to three leaders of the Russian women's national team, depriving them of the chance to compete. Russia said it would appeal to World Gymnastics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The competition is scheduled for 17-25 October.
Melnikova was previously denied a visa for the European Championships in Croatia in August, but the decision was reversed on appeal and she went on to win the all-around gold medal. The latest refusals mean the world championships will be affected by visa problems for a second consecutive year. Israeli gymnasts, including defending world floor champion Artem Dolgopyat, were denied entry to Indonesia for the 2025 championships in Jakarta because of the conflict in Gaza.
Russia is pushing to return to international sport after years of restrictions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the uncovering of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In July, the IOC eased restrictions on Russian athletes, opening a path for them to compete in qualifying events for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing