Russian Olympic Committee plans to challenge Rotterdam worlds' Olympic qualifying status

The Russian Olympic Committee plans to ask international sports bodies to remove the Rotterdam gymnastics world championships' Olympic qualifying status. Mikhail Degtyarev announced the intended appeal on October 13.

The sports minister and committee chair cited the Netherlands' visa refusals for Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova. He said the appeal would go to the International Olympic Committee and World Gymnastics.

Degtyarev also called for equal access to qualification for Russian athletes. His statement announces the committee's intended action, rather than a decision by international bodies or a cancellation of the tournament's qualifying status.

The championships are scheduled for October 17-25, with team places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at stake. The Russian gymnastics federation had previously sought an assessment of the visa situation, while the Olympic committee's statement explicitly challenges the competition's qualifying role.