Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova will lead the Russian women’s artistic gymnastics team at the European Championships—taking place in Zagreb from August 13 to 16—after Croatian authorities granted a visa at the last minute. The delegation will compete under a neutral flag, aiming to secure a spot at the World Championships in Rotterdam.
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Melnikova’s participation was in doubt until Monday, when the Croatian government reversed the initial denial of entry following joint efforts by European Gymnastics, the Croatian Federation, and the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation had previously reported the visa denials for several gymnasts, a doctor, and a coach last Friday.
The gymnast herself shared the Croatian embassy’s decision on her Instagram account: “There was no justification for the purpose of my trip and the conditions of my stay,” she wrote, describing the ban as ridiculous: “It is just politics, but sport must be protected from politics. I hope that very soon all athletes will be able to compete because we do sport, not politics.”
Following the reversal, Melnikova commented before boarding her flight to Zagreb: “You know the saying that hope is the last thing to die? That is exactly our case,” and she expressed immense gratitude to those who helped bring about this outcome.
Melnikova leads the squad alongside Anna Kalmykova—who also received permission at the last minute—Liudmila Roshchina, Elizaveta Us, and Alena Glotova. Another Olympic medalist, Viktoria Listunova, was left out of the competition as the denial of her visa remained in place.
The Executive Committee of World Gymnastics has decided to lift restrictions imposed on Russian athletes and allow them to compete under the national flag and anthem, the Russian Gymnastics Federation’s press service said:https://t.co/B2FQ7Hymy5 pic.twitter.com/fsD9I1jdQj
— TASS (@tassagency_en) May 18, 2026
World Championship spots and the road to Los Angeles 2028
Europe has thirteen qualifying spots available for the World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, scheduled for October 17–25. This event marks the first step in the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Melnikova had already demonstrated her competitive caliber in 2025, after World Gymnastics granted her neutral status in March. In November, she was crowned all-around world champion—finishing ahead of American Leanne Wong and China’s Zhang Qingyin—and also won gold on the vault and silver on the uneven bars.
Melnikova’s athletic profile is overshadowed by controversy regarding her active support for military actions in Ukraine and her display of Russian military symbols; this led the German Bundesliga club she had signed with to immediately drop her from the team last November.
In Zagreb, the gymnast will compete under the strict neutrality protocol established by the Croatian government and endorsed by European Gymnastics: no national anthem, flag, or national colors.
#Russia | President Vladimir Putin signed an order to add 27,000 personnel to the Russian military, bringing its total to 2,426,130, including 1,535,000 service members.https://t.co/bwKQo3HPEj
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