Russia said three of its gymnasts, including Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova, have been denied visas by the Dutch government for the upcoming world championships.
In a post on its official Telegram channel on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Russian gymnastics federation said the athletes were turned down because they were considered a threat to international relations. Five other athletes are still awaiting visas for worlds, which begin Saturday, Oct. 17, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and are the first opportunity for countries to qualify gymnastics teams for the Los Angeles Olympics.
"The Russian Gymnastics Federation views the actions of the Dutch authorities as a deliberate attempt to exclude the strongest gymnasts
from competing for World Championship medals and Olympic quotas," the federation said in a Telegram post. "This constitutes direct discrimination against Russian athletes and a gross violation of the principle of equal conditions for Olympic selection."
The International Olympic Committee, World Gymnastics and local organizers of the world championships have not responded to requests for comment from USA TODAY Sports.
In a story on her official Instagram account, Melnikova called the decision "unfair."
"Just unfair competition and selection to LA," she wrote in a caption of a video of her training on uneven bars.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angelina Melnikova among gymnasts denied visas for world championships
