ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — World Gymnastics says it regrets “confusion” ahead of the world championships starting on Saturday after three top Russians were denied visas to enter the Netherlands for the event.
Former Olympic champions Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova, along with teammate Anna Kalmykova, were not allowed to travel to Rotterdam for the week-long worlds that are a team qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Russian team has said.
Other members of the Russian team have been given visas.
“The issuance of visas to all participants is a process determined solely by the Dutch authorities," World Gymnastics said Wednesday. "World Gymnastics is not in a position to explain why a select number of application requests have been refused.
"World Gymnastics remains in ongoing dialogue with the Dutch authorities, the Local Organizing Committee, and the Russian Gymnastics Federation. World Gymnastics fully regrets the negative impact on the preparations of the Russian delegation and the confusion felt among the wider Artistic Gymnastics World Championships community.”
The cases illustrate how efforts in the sports world to lift many restrictions on Russian athletes and teams don't always mean host governments allow them to travel for events.
It also comes a year after the world championships went ahead in Indonesia without the Israeli team after authorities in the host country refused to issue visas.
Melnikova won the European all-around title in August in Croatia after being issued a visa following an initial refusal, the Russian team said at the time. Listunova was refused on that occasion.
Russia planned to demand the world championships be stripped of their Olympic qualifier status over the issue, sports minister Mikhail Degtyaryov wrote on social media on Tuesday.
World Gymnastics did not mention that demand in its statement and did not respond to a question about it from The Associated Press. The International Olympic Committee also did not address that demand in a statement Wednesday and said it could not comment on the individual cases.
“Ahead of the upcoming Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, the IOC supported World Gymnastics in its efforts to ensure that all athletes could participate in this event,” the IOC said.
“The vast majority of these athletes received their visas, and we have been informed by the International Federation that athletes will have other opportunities to qualify for the Olympic Games over the course of the next two years.”
Russian gymnasts were cleared in May of restrictions to competing internationally by World Gymnastics, after years of being banned or required to pass vetting for neutral status during the full military invasion of Ukraine.
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FILE - Individual Neutral Athlete Angelina Melnikova competes in the women's uneven bars final during the 53rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Back atop the batting order, Shohei Ohtani responded with a three-run homer that helped the Los Angeles Dodgers build their early lead in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
But it wasn't enough to keep the Milwaukee Brewers from advancing to their first World Series in 44 years on Thursday.
The Dodgers lost 6-4 and got swept in four games, the same thing they did to the Brewers last year on the way to winning a second straight World Series title.
Ohtani went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts — including a big one in the seventh inning with the potential tying run at third base and one out. He hit .192 in the playoffs (5 for 26) with three RBIs, four walks and 10 strikeouts.
Last season, Ohtani was the NLCS MVP after hitting three home runs and striking out 10 batters over six-plus shutout innings of two-hit ball during a dominant two-way performance in the clinching Game 4.
“Ohtani is arguably the best player in the world, and he’s proven that to us,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “He had the greatest game I’ve ever seen played by an individual player last year against us.”
With the Dodgers facing elimination this time, Ohtani's 428-foot drive to right-center off former teammate Dustin May left his bat at 113.1 mph and gave Los Angeles a 4-0 lead in the second inning. It was the Dodgers' first homer of the series and his first since Aug. 18 at Colorado — a span of 116 plate appearances.
“I thought we woke up a giant. I’m like, ‘Oh, God, here we go,’” Murphy said. “But we had a little JoJo Romero for them and Aaron Ashby for them later on. That did the trick.”
The typically placid Ohtani reacted in a most un-Ohtani way: raising his arms and yelling toward the Dodgers' dugout before beginning his trot around the bases.
“I think it was a lot of pent-up anger, frustration. It was the best ball he hit in probably two, three months, and it was a big hit,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “For him to look at the dugout, show that emotion, it just shows how much he cares. He’s still human. He still cares and wants to help his team win a baseball game.”
With two outs, Ohtani unleashed the smooth and powerful swing that had mostly deserted him over the last few months while he dealt with knee and arm issues.
The four-time MVP struck out swinging so hard in the first that his helmet came off.
Ohtani has been dealing with nagging injuries to his left knee and right biceps and didn't pitch after the All-Star break.
He told reporters at his locker that he “definitely” expects to pitch next season.
“Looking forward to having a better season next year,” he said through a translator.
Ohtani was vague when asked if he expects to need surgery for the injuries that affected him this season.
“Hard to tell at this point,” he said. “It's something that's going to be analyzed, discussed over the offseason and see if that's a viable thing to do.”
Roberts said, "I think he’s the best player on the planet, and he’s not completely healthy. But I just give him a lot of respect for not running from it, still wanting to participate, still wanting to play when he’s not 100%.”
Roberts restored Ohtani to his familiar leadoff spot for Game 4.
Ohtani batted sixth in a 6-2 loss on Wednesday, the lowest he's hit since joining the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. He was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.
“Just seeing the work the last couple days, I like where his head is at,” Roberts said before the game. “I liked the at-bats yesterday. Obviously we haven’t performed the way that we’re capable of, so to kind of shake it up a little bit, but something that’s of somewhat normalcy that our guys are used to.”
Ohtani typically leads off but was dropped lower while struggling with injuries to his left knee and right biceps over the last few months that have prevented the two-way star from pitching since early July. Roberts didn't tell Ohtani about the change before posting the Game 4 lineup.
“It's not one player that didn’t come through. It was all of us,” Roberts said. “But I’m really impressed with what Shohei did. I'll always trust Shohei."
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three run home run during the second inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani follows through on a three run home run during the second inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three run home run during the second inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three run home during the second inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani connects for a three run home during the second inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
