The Gymnastics World Championships will be held in Rotterdam next week. But some of Russia’s top gymnasts, including former Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova, will miss the championships after being denied visas to the Netherlands.
In a statement, the Russian Gymnastics Federation called the decision discriminatory and a violation of the principle of equal conditions in competition.
In August, Angelina Melnikova was denied a visa to Croatia for the World Championships. However, the decision was later reversed, and Melnikova won a gold medal at the championships.
In May, the International Gymnastics Federation announced that it was lifting all restrictions on Russian participation in international competitions imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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