🇷🇺🎙Comment by Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands H.E. V.Tarabrin for TASS regarding the refusal to issue visas to several Russian female athletes seeking to participate in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam

🔹We received this information with outrage. By deliberately denying visas to our top gymnasts seeking to
participate in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (Rotterdam, October 17-25, 2026), the Dutch authorities have once again demonstrated their utter disregard for one of the fundamental principles of international sport - fair play. This is clearly a deliberate attempt to weaken our team through political and bureaucratic means.

🔹I personally visited the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where I strongly urged the authorities to honour their obligations as the host country of an international sport event and ensure that all Russian gymnasts receive the necessary documents to participate.

🔹Instead, I was presented with utterly unconvincing arguments that defy any reasonable criticism. We were told that visa applications would supposedly be assessed by the Netherlands in light of the "potential negative impact of the participation of Russian champions on international relations". Such position is simply impossible to justify or explain in any rational terms.

🔹With this decision, The Hague has not only discredited itself by denying entry to Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova, but has also put the organisers in an extremely difficult position. Without the participation of the strongest athletes, one can hardly speak of a fully representative World Championship. Spectators have been deprived of the opportunity to enjoy performances by internationally acclaimed gymnasts, while athletes from other countries have been denied the chance to test their skills against the true leaders of world gymnastics.

🔹Ultimately, everyone has lost. The responsibility for casting a shadow over what should be a celebration of sport, bringing people together rather than dividing them, rests entirely with the Dutch authorities. They sought to "teach Russia a lesson", but have only demonstrated that the Netherlands cannot be trusted to host major international sport events.