Netherlands Denies Visas to Three Russian Gymnasts for World Championships in Rotterdam

The Netherlands denied visas to three Russian artistic gymnasts for the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. Anna Kalmykova, Viktoria Listunova, and Angelina Melnikova will not compete. Four other Russian gymnasts received entry permission and are expected to participate.

The championships are scheduled for Rotterdam. The International Gymnastics Federation has allowed individual neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under strict conditions since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. National flags, anthems, and team events remain barred. The Dutch decision applies only to the three named athletes and does not alter the overall neutral-athlete framework.

Visa refusals for athletes have occurred at other events when host countries cite security, sanctions, or public-order grounds. The Dutch authorities have not published the specific reasons for the three denials. Listunova and Melnikova are established competitors who have won medals at previous world and European championships. Kalmykova is a younger member of the Russian program.

The four gymnasts who received visas will compete as individual neutral athletes. Their results will not count toward any Russian team ranking. The championships determine individual medals and qualification spots for later events. The absence of the three denied athletes reduces the depth of the neutral contingent in the all-around and apparatus finals.

Russian sports officials have previously criticized selective visa decisions as inconsistent with the neutral-athlete rules. No formal protest has been detailed in the initial reports. The International Gymnastics Federation has not announced any change to the competition schedule or entry list beyond the visa outcomes.

Rotterdam is hosting the event under standard security arrangements for a world championship. Other Russian and Belarusian athletes in different sports have faced similar entry hurdles in European host cities since 2022. Some have competed after receiving visas; others have been turned away.

The split decision—three denied, four approved—shows that Dutch authorities reviewed the applications individually rather than applying a blanket ban. The criteria used in the review have not been made public. Athletes who were refused can, in principle, appeal, though the timeline for the championships leaves little room for a successful challenge before the competition begins.

The championships will proceed with the approved neutral athletes and the full fields from other nations. Medal outcomes in the events where the three denied gymnasts would have been contenders may shift as a result. Further visa decisions for later rounds or related events will indicate whether the same approach continues.