World Gymnastics says Dutch authorities responsible for denying visas to three Russian gymnasts

File Image: Former Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova is among the three athletes denied visas to enter the Netherlands. | Photo Credit: AP

World Gymnastics said on Wednesday that Dutch authorities were solely responsible for refusing visas to three Russian gymnasts, including reigning world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova, ahead of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam.

Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova are set to miss the October 17-25 competition after their visa applications were rejected.

The international governing body said it could not explain why the applications had been refused and was holding discussions with Dutch officials, the local organising committee and the Russian Gymnastics Federation.

The Russian federation condemned the decision on Tuesday, describing it as discriminatory and a violation of fair competition. It accused Dutch authorities of deliberately excluding leading Russian contenders and said it would appeal to World Gymnastics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

ALSO READ | Three Russian gymnasts denied visas for World Championships in Netherlands

Melnikova, who won the all-around title at the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta, faced a similar visa issue ahead of this year’s European Championships in Croatia. That decision was overturned on appeal, allowing her to compete and win gold.

The dispute comes as Russian gymnasts return to international competition following restrictions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

World Gymnastics eased those restrictions in May, although Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under neutral designations in Rotterdam because of Dutch and European Union regulations.