Viktoria Listunova denied visa for European Gymnastics Championships

Olympic gold medalist Viktoria Listunova will be unable to compete in the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb after being denied a Croatian visa. While most members of the 65-person Russian delegation were eventually granted entry, Listunova remains excluded.

The Russian Gymnastics Federation stated that the official reason for the denial was that the “purpose and conditions of the planned stay were not sufficiently justified.” The federation condemned the decision, arguing it effectively deprives top athletes of a crucial qualifying tournament for the World Championships and sets a “dangerous precedent” regarding equal competition conditions.

Other high-profile gymnasts, including current world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova, were also initially denied visas before being cleared. Melnikova criticized the exclusion on social media, stating that fair competition disappears when strong rivals are not allowed to participate. This year's championships serve as a continental qualifier for the World Championships, which will determine initial national quotas for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.