World Gymnastics regrets 'confusion' after 3 top Russians refused visas for world championships

World Gymnastics says it regrets "confusion" ahead of the world championships starting on Saturday after three top Russians were denied visas to enter the Netherlands for the event.

Former Olympic champions Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova, along with teammate Anna Kalmykova, were not allowed to travel to Rotterdam for the week-long worlds that are a team qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Russian team has said.

Other members of the Russian team have been given visas.

"The issuance of visas to all participants is a process determined solely by the Dutch authorities," World Gymnastics said Wednesday. "World Gymnastics is not in a position to explain why a select number of application requests have been refused.

"World Gymnastics remains in ongoing dialogue with the Dutch authorities, the Local Organizing Committee, and the Russian Gymnastics Federation. World Gymnastics fully regrets the negative impact on the preparations of the Russian delegation and the confusion felt among the wider Artistic Gymnastics World Championships community."

Olympic champions among 3 Russian gymnasts denied visas for upcoming world championships

The cases illustrate how efforts in the sports world to lift many restrictions on Russian athletes and teams don't always mean host governments allow them to travel for events.

It also comes a year after the world championships went ahead in Indonesia without the Israeli team after authorities in the host country refused to issue visas.

Melnikova won the European all-around title in August in Croatia after being issued a visa following an initial refusal, the Russian team said at the time. Listunova was refused on that occasion.

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