Netherlands denies visas to three Russian gymnasts for world championships

The Dutch embassy denied entry visas to Russian gymnasts Angelina Melnikova, Victoria Listunova, and Anna Kalmykova for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, scheduled for October 17–25, 2026. According to the Russian Gymnastics Federation, the official reason cited was that "one or more member states of the Schengen Area consider the athletes a threat to their international relations." The championships serve as the first qualifying stage for Olympic team quotas for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, where the top three men's and women's teams will earn Olympic licenses.

Russian officials responded with sharp criticism. Ambassador Vladimir Tarabrin stated that the decision demonstrates The Netherlands cannot be trusted to host international competitions and called it an attempt to weaken Russia's team through political and bureaucratic means. Russia's Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev characterized the refusal as politically motivated and claimed it breaches the principle of fair play. The Russian Gymnastics Federation announced it would appeal to the International Olympic Committee and World Gymnastics, requesting the competition lose its Olympic qualification status to ensure equal conditions for all nations.

World Gymnastics acknowledged the situation in a statement, noting that visa issuance remains exclusively within Dutch authority and expressing regret over the impact on Russian team preparations and competition uncertainty. Four Russian gymnasts—Daniel Marinov, Arseny Dukhno, Sergey Naidin, and Alena Glotova—received Schengen visas and arrived in the Netherlands, while five additional team members remained awaiting visa decisions. In August 2026, Russia's gymnasts had competed at the European Championships in Zagreb after initially facing visa denials there, which were subsequently reversed days before the event.