Russia’s hopes of challenging for medals at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships have suffered a major setback after the Dutch government denied visas to three of its leading gymnasts ahead of the competition in Rotterdam. Among those affected is reigning world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova, who was expected to lead Russia’s medal challenge and defend her world title. Her absence has now sparked a dispute over Russia’s participation in international sport, with the Kremlin challenging the Netherlands over the decision.

Speaking to Russian state news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised the visa refusals, arguing, “This is not consistent with Olympic ideals or with the general principle that sport and politics should remain separate.” He further added, “These are attempts by certain countries to interfere with the course of competitions by deliberately preventing the best athletes from taking part.” 

The dispute began on October 13, when the Russian Gymnastics Federation announced that Dutch authorities had refused visas to Melnikova, Listunova and Kalmykova ahead of the championships, which run from October 17 to 25 in Rotterdam. The federation said it had received notification of the decisions through the Dutch embassy in Moscow and condemned the refusals, arguing that they had deprived Russia of three leading contenders for world championship medals and valuable opportunities in the race for Olympic qualification.

All three gymnasts bring significant international experience to the competition. Melnikova, one of Russia’s most decorated active gymnasts, won the world all-around title in 2021 and 2025. She also claimed three gold medals at the 2026 European Championships in Croatia, including the all-around title. Listunova helped the Russian team win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, while Kalmykova secured silver in the all-around at the 2026 European Championships. Their exclusion leaves Russia without several of its strongest female competitors at one of the season’s biggest events.

According to the Russian Gymnastics Federation, the visa refusal notices stated that one or more Schengen member states considered the athletes a threat to their international relations. Dutch authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific reasons behind each individual decision. However, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport told Dutch media that athletic performance was not a factor in the assessments.

Also, World Gymnastics expressed regret over the situation but stressed that decisions on issuing visas rested with Dutch authorities. The governing body said it was in contact with the relevant parties following the refusals. The dispute has raised questions about the challenges Russian athletes continue to face as they return to international competition amid ongoing political tensions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

However, Russia’s entire gymnastics delegation has not been excluded from the championships. According to The Moscow Times, 47 of the 61 members of the delegation had received visas, including five male gymnasts and three female gymnasts. Nevertheless, the absence of three of the country’s leading female competitors represents a major setback for Russia, particularly as its gymnasts have only recently begun returning to international competition after years of restrictions.

Russian Gymnasts’ Olympic hopes take a hit as Visa row threatens LA 2028 qualification

Russian gymnasts were initially allowed to return to international competition as neutral athletes in late 2024, following a ban imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In May 2026, World Gymnastics lifted its remaining restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flags. However, at the Rotterdam World Championships, Russian gymnasts are competing under the designation World Gymnastics 2, rather than representing Russia under its national flag.

The visa refusals have therefore come at a particularly difficult time for Russian gymnastics, as its leading athletes seek to re-establish themselves on the international stage. The controversy also carries added significance because the Rotterdam championships serve as the first team qualification event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The competition offers the first six team quota places for the Games, with the three highest-placed eligible men’s teams and three highest-placed eligible women’s teams securing Olympic berths for their countries.

In response to the refusals, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov announced that the Russian Olympic Committee would challenge the decision. He also criticised the Netherlands over the visa decisions, accusing the country of allowing political considerations to interfere with international sport.

“The politically motivated denial of visas to Russian gymnasts by the Netherlands once again demonstrates that elite sport has no place in Europe…The Europeans ignored the decisions of international organizations (the IOC and World Gymnastics) and denied visas to Russians, and tomorrow they’ll deny visas to others,” Degtyaryov said.

Russia’s demand has not resulted in any announced change to the championships’ Olympic qualification status. The IOC has pointed to other qualification opportunities available during the following two years, meaning the Rotterdam event remains part of the qualification pathway for Los Angeles 2028.