Dutch authorities refused to grant visas to three Russian gymnasts, preventing them from taking part in world gymnastics championships held in Rotterdam later this month, the Russian Gymnastics Federation said on Oct. 13.
Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova, and Anna Kalmykova were denied entry as "one or more Schengen area member states consider the athletes a threat to their international relations," the federation said on its Telegram channel.
Participation of Russian athletes in international competitions remains controversial and, in some sports, restricted due to Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, Dutch authorities approved visas for five other gymnasts, the Russian Gymnastics Federation said later on Oct. 13, noting that 47 of the 61 members of the Russian delegation had been granted entry so far.
Listunova publicly expressed support for Russian aggression in Ukraine and was previously denied visas for a gymnastics competition in Croatia in August.
Melnikova has also voiced backing for Russian President Vladimir Putin and even ran as a candidate for the ruling United Russia party in local election primaries last year.
Both Melnikova and Listunova are Olympic gold medalists.
Kalmykova, in turn, holds a sports contract with the Russian National Guard, according to Kyiv.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation denounced the decision and said it would appeal to the International Olympic Committee and World Gymnastics.
Rotterdam will host the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships from Oct. 17 to 25, serving as the first stage of team qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
World Gymnastics imposed sanctions on Russian and Belarusian gymnasts at the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, but allowed them to compete as "neutral athletes" two years later.
The international association finally lifted its ban in May 2026, allowing Russian and Belarusian gymnasts to compete under their national flags, as part of a broader loosening of restrictions on Russian athletes.
Kyiv continues to urge global sports organizations to maintain sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Russia's all-out war has taken a heavy toll on Ukraine, with hundreds of Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed and hundreds of sports facilities destroyed by Russian missile and drone attacks.