Netherlands Denies Visas to Three Russian Gymnasts for World Championships in Rotterdam
· Sports · BBC Sport, Sportstar
The Netherlands has refused visas to three Russian gymnasts, including reigning women's all-around world champion Angelina Melnikova, preventing them from competing at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships starting October 17 in Rotterdam. Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova are the other two athletes affected. The Russian Gymnastics Federation called the decision discrimination and a violation of equal competition principles, accusing Dutch authorities of deliberately excluding their strongest gymnasts. Russia plans to appeal to the International Gymnastics Federation and the International Olympic Committee. This marks the second consecutive year visa issues have affected the world championships after Israeli gymnasts were denied entry to Indonesia in 2025. Melnikova faced a similar visa denial for the European Championships in Croatia in August, which was later reversed on appeal.
Why it matters
Three top Russian gymnasts, including the defending world all-around champion, are barred from the sport's premier annual event, weakening the competition field and escalating diplomatic tensions over athlete participation.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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