Russia's women's gymnastics team finished sixth in the team final at the world championships in Rotterdam on 21 October, according to Sportbox. The Russian squad competed without three of its leading athletes, who were not granted visas to the Netherlands, and closed the final with a total of 159.394 points.
The team had entered the final with reason for optimism. Sportbox reports that Russia posted the third-best score in qualifying, behind only China and the United States, despite the absences. The medals in the final went to China, the United States and Japan, with France and Brazil also finishing ahead of the Russian team.
Why it matters
The result carries weight beyond the standings. According to Sportbox, a podium finish in Rotterdam would have come with Olympic qualification places, and those went to other teams. The sixth-place finish therefore leaves the Russian programme short of a target it had identified before the competition began.
The meet also became a focal point for wider complaints about the visa refusals. Sportbox reports that Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova were denied entry to the Netherlands, and the outlet describes the stated reason as a claim that their presence posed a threat to international relations. Valentina Rodionenko, quoted by Sport.ru, called the exclusion of Melnikova deliberate. Separately, the head of Liechtenstein's judo federation, speaking to Match TV about Melnikova's absence, questioned how a first place could be described as valuable when the strongest competitors are not present.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also weighed in, according to Interfax, saying the Netherlands is not in a position to guarantee that competitions are held fairly. The Championat outlet framed the Russian team's outcome plainly, describing the squad as depleted and left without medals.
A final that slipped away on the first rotation
Sportbox's account of the final traces the team's difficulties to the opening apparatus. Russia began on the uneven bars, where national champion Lyudmila Roshchina was first up. She came off the apparatus on her opening release move and scored 12.933, a low mark by her standards. Milana Kayumova (14.433) and Alyona Glotova (13.966) recovered ground, and Russia moved to the second rotation in fourth place, within reach of the leading group.
The balance beam then proved costly. Roshchina avoided any falls but managed only 12.766, while Glotova came off the beam and scored 12.166. Elizaveta Us scored 13.566, a solid routine in the circumstances, but by the halfway point Russia had dropped to eighth and last place.
The floor exercise offered little relief. Sportbox notes that the apparatus is not this team's strength and that the scores stayed modest even without major errors: Glotova posted 12.766, Roshchina 13.433 and Alexandra Anufrieva 13.066. The report also raises questions about the judging, describing the panel as notably frugal with marks, while acknowledging that the team's starting difficulty on floor was limited.
In the vault, the last rotation, Roshchina scored 13.966 and Us 13.633, both respectable. Anufrieva landed on her knees and received 12.700. The final total of 159.394 left Russia sixth.
What Sportbox says about the bigger picture
Sportbox's assessment is blunt about the circumstances rather than the athletes. The outlet argues that the Russian team would have contended for the podium, and possibly for first place, under normal conditions, and it directs no criticism at the gymnasts themselves.
The report also describes the wider strain on the squad, stating that the remaining Russian competitors were put under pressure in the run-up to the competition as well as during it. The Russian team's participation in Rotterdam, and the visa decisions that shaped it, have drawn comment from sports officials and diplomats beyond gymnastics, as the reactions above show.
The world championships continue in Rotterdam, with apparatus finals still to come. For the Russian women's team, the immediate question is how the programme responds to a team final decided largely on bars and beam, and whether the visa dispute that overshadowed the week produces any formal response from the sport's governing bodies.
