© Filippo Tomasi
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under a neutral designation at the upcoming 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which are set for October 17-25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
World Gymnastics confirmed to Gymnastics Now that Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete without their national flag in Rotterdam, instead using the neutral designations of World Gymnastics 2 (Russia) and World Gymnastics 1 (Belarus).
This was also the case for the 2026 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, in August, when the Russian men and women featured on multiple podiums as WG2.
World Gymnastics reiterated to Gymnastics Now that its executive committee lifted previous restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes in May 2026, but “for events allocated before that decision, some flexibility may be required where binding governmental restrictions apply.”
The Netherlands has strictly enforced European Union sanctions against both Russia and Belarus and has been an ally to Ukraine, providing political, financial, and military support to the country.
World Gymnastics said it will continue to refer to the federations as Russia and Belarus in its own communications.
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