Melnikova and the visa dispute before Rotterdam

Updated 14 October 2026

Three days before the World Championships begin in Rotterdam, running from 17 to 25 October, the dispute over visas for Russian gymnasts extends well beyond the composition of the field. Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova are still being refused visas. In a statement published on 14 October, World Gymnastics said that visa decisions rest solely with the Dutch authorities. The federation said it could not explain the specific reasons for individual refusals. Source

Melnikova: sadness, dignity and the right to a fair competition

“Inside, I want to cry,” Angelina Melnikova said in her personal video blog, as reported by MatchTV on 13 October. This short quotation is translated from Russian. She went on to describe how her sense of dignity was asserting itself alongside her disappointment: under these conditions, she did not want simply to plead for permission to compete. She pointed to the qualification she had earned at the European Championships and called for respectful treatment. In her view, the refusal disregards something she had earned on the competition floor. Source

In another report drawn from the same video blog, Angelina Melnikova described a document she had received: the delegation was to travel without her, Anna Kalmykova and Viktoria Listunova. She called this unfair and warned that athletes from other countries could find themselves in the same situation. In her view, sporting results should be decided by ability and perseverance. This is her account of the document; we have not seen the complete decision. Source

On 13 October, Valentina Rodionenko, the former head coach of the national team, also said she did not expect the three gymnasts to reach Worlds in time. According to her statement to RIA Novosti, subsequently reported by other outlets, all three passports had been returned without visas, and she had received no explanation from the embassy. Her assessment illustrates how little hope remained for a solution shortly before the competition. It is not, however, a published government decision covering every possible further step. Source

IMAGO / Schreyer

Viktoria Listunova on floor.

IMAGO / Schreyer

Anna Kalmykova in competition.

What the Netherlands has explained — and what remains unclear

The Dutch broadcaster NOS reported on 13 October on the response from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. According to that response, the refusals were unrelated to sporting performance. Every application is assessed carefully under the European Visa Code. Grounds for refusal can include a person being considered a threat to public policy, internal security or the international relations of a member state. Source

The Russian federation, for its part, cites a ground for refusal concerning the international relations of one or more Schengen states. That is the federation’s account. The Dutch authorities’ general explanation does not disclose which specific facts determined the decision for each gymnast. It does not establish that appearances at state events or membership of a particular club were the confirmed individual reasons. Source

Sporting eligibility and permission to enter are separate decisions

Describing the gymnasts as neutral athletes does not, on its own, explain this dispute. World Gymnastics lifted the restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes in May 2026. In October, its Executive Committee reaffirmed the principle of full national representation, while allowing exceptions where binding decisions or restrictions imposed by local authorities prevent it. Sporting eligibility therefore does not guarantee an entry visa. Equally, refusal of entry does not automatically amount to a new sporting suspension imposed by the international federation. Source

Other visas: Russia is not entirely excluded from Worlds

Visas had already been reported for Alena Glotova, Liudmila Roshchina, Milana Kaiumova and Elizaveta Us. The Russian federation announced this on 13 October, according to Interfax. Milana Kaiumova was originally part of the replacement squad, while Elizaveta Us belonged to the additional reserve group. Despite the three refusals, Russian gymnasts therefore do have permission to enter. This is not a complete exclusion of the Russian delegation. Source

The position of Zlata Osokina changed again on 14 October. After an initial report that her visa had been approved but the documents had yet to be issued, the federation subsequently said that her passport, containing the visa, had been handed over. MatchTV published that report at 17:30 Moscow time. The earlier uncertainty about collection is therefore resolved. A visa and a nominative entry do not, by themselves, establish that an athlete has arrived in Rotterdam or will actually compete. Source

The official nominative entry list dated 14 October also shows a changed Russian women’s squad. The three gymnasts refused visas are no longer listed, while the replacement candidates mentioned above are. The list records entries, not arrivals or confirmed participation. Which gymnasts actually compete and how routines are allocated will become clear at the venue. Without Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova, the sporting prospects of the originally intended team have changed substantially. Source

Russia’s protest targets Olympic qualification

The Russian federation describes the situation as discrimination. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev announced that he would ask the IOC and World Gymnastics to strip the World Championships of their Olympic qualification status. No such decision has been established.

The announcement by the sports minister, who is also president of the Russian Olympic Committee, dates from 13 October. He cited the visa refusals affecting the leading gymnasts and called for equal conditions in Olympic qualification. The protest therefore concerns the significance of Worlds on the road to Los Angeles 2028, rather than only the loss of the opportunity to compete in Rotterdam. Source

Under the published qualification system, the three highest-placed eligible National Olympic Committees in the women’s team final at the 2026 World Championships each earn a team quota of five athletes. At the 2027 Worlds, nine further team places will go to nations that have not yet qualified. Rotterdam is an early and important opportunity, but it is not the only route to the Olympic Games. An individual gymnast missing these Worlds does not mean that every chance of reaching Los Angeles has been lost. Source

On 14 October, the IOC pointed to further qualification opportunities over the following two years. Its press office also told MatchTV that it did not have complete information about the individual visa refusals and therefore could not comment on them. It did not announce any removal of the event’s Olympic qualification status. Source

In a further response published by MatchTV, the IOC supported World Gymnastics’ efforts to enable all athletes to participate. Visas, however, remained the responsibility of the respective governments. Support for mediation is therefore not a promise that the three refusals will be overturned before Worlds begin. Source

Talks continue — press conference on 16 October

World Gymnastics says it remains in contact with the Dutch authorities, the local organising committee and the Russian federation. It regrets the consequences for the delegation’s preparations and the uncertainty caused. President Morinari Watanabe is due to hold a press conference at the Ahoy arena at 11:00 on Friday, 16 October. Until then, the publicly established facts remain distinct: three refused visas, other visas granted, a Russian protest, and talks without a published solution for the three affected gymnasts. Source

Melnikova’s appearances in Germany and Italy

Melnikova has also recently competed in European club leagues. On 15 November 2025, she competed for TSV Tittmoning-Chemnitz in the Bundesliga in Esslingen am Neckar. Following public criticism, TuS Chemnitz-Altendorf, one of the clubs involved, chose not to field her in the subsequent final in Heidelberg.

In 2026, she went on to compete for Libertas Vercelli in Italy’s Serie A1. Her appearances included the meet at the PalaPanini in Modena on 28 February, where her team won the opening round of the season.