Three top Russian gymnasts have been denied visas to compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, less than a week before the event begins and serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova, and Anna Kalmykova were refused entry by Dutch authorities, the Russian team confirmed, while other members of their squad were granted visas.
World Gymnastics expressed regret over the situation on Wednesday but said the visa process is controlled entirely by the Netherlands government. “World Gymnastics is not in a position to explain why a select number of application requests have been refused,” the federation said in a statement. The governing body added it is maintaining dialogue with Dutch officials, the event’s local organisers, and the Russian Gymnastics Federation, but acknowledged the impact on Russia’s preparations and the wider gymnastics community.
The refusal echoes previous incidents where host countries have limited Russian or other athletes’ participation despite international sports bodies easing restrictions. Last year, the World Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia proceeded without the Israeli team after visa denials from the host country.
Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyaryov responded on social media by threatening to demand the Rotterdam championships lose their Olympic qualifier status. World Gymnastics did not comment on that demand when asked by The Associated Press, and the International Olympic Committee declined to address it directly. The IOC said it supported World Gymnastics in trying to secure visas for all athletes and noted that most athletes have received theirs. It also pointed out that there will be more chances to qualify for the Olympics over the next two years.
Melnikova won the European all-around title in August after eventually receiving a visa to compete in Croatia, while Listunova was initially refused on that occasion. Russia had been cleared in May to compete internationally without restrictions by World Gymnastics, following years of bans and neutral status requirements due to the war in Ukraine.
The Dutch government’s refusal to issue visas to these three Olympians complicates Russia’s presence at a major event that doubles as a team qualifier for the Paris 2024 cycle’s successor Games. The situation remains unsettled as the World Gymnastics Championships open on Saturday in Rotterdam.
According to Yahoo Sports.