The International Gymnastics Federation immediately lifts all restrictions applicable to Russian and Belarusian athletes

The decision, announced on Monday, follows the May 7 announcement by the International Olympic Committee, which lifted its restrictions for Belarusian athletes but kept them in place for their Russian counterparts.

Published on May 18, 2026 at 16:49, Reading time: 1 minute

Angelina Melnikova after her victory in the vault at the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta (Indonesia) on October 24, 2025. (BAY ISMOYO / AFP)

A bold choice. The FIG Executive Committee has decided to “immediately lift all restrictions applicable to Russian and Belarusian athletes since February 2022. The FIG’s ad-hoc rules are no longer in effect,” the organization added. For over four years, these athletes were banned from competing under their respective country’s flag following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

A few months ago, in October 2025, the participation of Russian Angelina Melnikova, under a neutral flag, at the World Championships in Jakarta (Indonesia) sparked controversy. The 25-year-old gymnast had recently participated in the primaries of Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, in a local election, as reported by Le Monde. This raised questions about Melnikova’s legitimacy to compete under a neutral flag, as the IOC mandates that Russians must meet certain conditions to compete, including having no ties to the Russian government and not actively supporting the war in Ukraine. During that competition, Angelina Melnikova won gold in the all-around and vault, and silver in the uneven bars. The next World Championships will be held in Rotterdam (Netherlands) from October 17-25, 2026.