"Double standards" rule Russia’s junior gymnasts out of the 2026 European Gymnastics Cup

Russia’s junior rhythmic gymnasts have found themselves excluded from the 2026 European Cup after their participation ran into a series of delayed administrative procedures, despite meeting all technical requirements, in a scene that reflects a contradiction between international recommendations and actual implementation mechanisms.

According to the available information, the reason is unrelated to performance level, injuries, or the athletes’ withdrawal, but rather to prolonged administrative procedures linked to obtaining neutral status, in addition to the European Gymnastics Union’s refusal to register them at a later stage.

These developments come despite the position of the International Olympic Committee, which had announced in December 2025 its support for not imposing restrictions on the participation of junior athletes from Russia and Belarus in international competitions, while recommending that sports federations adopt this approach, particularly in the context of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.