Kremlin accuses EU of anti-Russian bias in sports

A Dutch denial of visas for leading Russian gymnasts is just the latest in a series of incidents

The Kremlin has accused European countries of deliberately excluding the strongest competitors from international sporting events as part of a systematic attempt to manipulate results.

The majority of EU members have at some point refused entry to Russian athletes, despite them being cleared by their governing body to compete. Croatia tried to prevent nine Russian gymnasts from attending this summer’s European Gymnastics Championships, the country’s junior and under-23 canoe slalom teams missed the World Championships in Poland, and Russian archers were unable to compete in a World Cup event in Spain because of visa problems.

Most recently, the Netherlands refused entry to Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam from October 17-25. The tournament forms part of the qualifications for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“There are clear attempts by certain countries to influence the outcome of competitions by deliberately excluding the strongest,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

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Such refusals contradict Olympic ideals and the principle that sport should remain outside politics, he said, adding that they also violate the responsibilities of countries hosting international competitions. Russia will continue working with international federations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to defend its athletes’ interests, he said.

According to the Russian Gymnastics Federation (RGF), the visa refusal notices stated that “one or more Schengen member states” considered the three gymnasts “a threat to their international relations.”

Melnikova is the reigning world all-around champion and won European all-around gold this year. Listunova won Olympic team gold alongside her in Tokyo, while Kalmykova claimed European all-around silver this summer.

The RGF called the exclusions “direct discrimination” and a violation of equal conditions for Olympic qualification. Sports Minister and Russian Olympic Committee president Mikhail Degtyarev announced that Russia would seek to strip Rotterdam of its Olympic qualifying status.

World Gymnastics expressed regret over the disruption to the Russian delegation’s preparations. It said visa decisions rested exclusively with the Dutch authorities and that discussions with officials and organizers were continuing.

The refusals come despite World Gymnastics restoring Russian participation under national flags and anthems in May. The IOC provisionally reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee in July, following widespread restrictions imposed after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

Several European governments have opposed the return. Euractiv reported last month that Brussels was considering visa restrictions and cuts to funding for sporting organizations that readmit Russian and Belarusian athletes under national symbols.

Russia has also challenged continuing restrictions through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, including World Athletics’ refusal to readmit its competitors before a peace agreement in Ukraine.

An earlier legal challenge helped clear the way for Russians to compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, where they won eight gold medals. Russian junior figure skaters also swept all four disciplines at an international Grand Prix event in China in August after a four-year absence.