JAKARTA, INDONESIA – OCTOBER 23: Angelina Melnikova of Team Neutral Athletes competes in the floor exercise during the Women’s Individual All-Around Final on day five of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Indonesia Arena on October 23, 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
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Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova just wrapped an immensely successful world championship campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia. This week, the 25-year-old veteran led Russia’s ‘neutral’ contingent in her long-awaited return to the world stage.
Melnikova clinched her second world all-around title, narrowly and controversially edging American Leanne Wong by just .100. She also claimed two event medals, winning gold on vault (her first individual event title) and silver on bars.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and her teammates competed as Authorized Individual Neutral athletes (AIN) in Jakarta, and therefore did not compete under the Russian flag or denomination. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to publicly congratulate the athlete on her recent successes.
Putin’s Message for the Russian ‘Neutral’ Athlete
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Melnikova’s “triumphant” performance in a statement shared by Kremlin media on Friday, October 24.
“I am confident that thanks to your talent, skill, and strength of character, you will continue to conquer new sporting heights,” he continued. “I wish you health and prosperity.”
First-placed Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) Angelina Melnikova poses during the victory ceremony for the women’s all-around final at the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta on October 23, 2025. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Putin’s message underscores a contentious subject impacting the Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2025 World Championships.
In 2022, the International Gymnastics Federation banned the international participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For years, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, the gymnastics world continued to spin without Russian involvement.
However, in the spring of 2025, a handful of eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to compete under neutral status, including at this month’s world championships. Melnikova – controversially – was one of them.
To achieve (AIN) neutral status, the FIG ad-hoc guidelines state that an athlete must meet the following criteria:
- No link with the Russian/Belarusian military or with any national security agency.
- No communication associated with Russia or Belarus.
- No support for the military conflict in Ukraine.
Many argue that Melnikova’s inclusion violates the FIG’s ad-hoc guidelines. The world champion trains under the Central Sports Club of the Army, a club subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The Ukrainian government considers athletes from this club to be representatives of “the armed forces of the aggressor state” and has concurrently designated Melnikova as a “Champion of Terror.”
Melnikova also has political ties with the “pro-Putin” party. In April, she ran in a local election in Voronezh and won the primary as a candidate for the pro-government United Russia party. Although Melnikova later withdrew her candidacy to focus on gymnastics, she did not retract her political stance.
Thus, Putin’s recent message of support appears to contradict Melnikova’s supposed neutrality, as outlined by the FIG guidelines.
The gymnastics community’s reaction to Russian participation and Putin’s celebration is widespread, with Ukrainian media calling the situation a “sham.”
Despite the multiple controversies, Melnikova leaves Jakarta as the most decorated women’s gymnast with three medals (two gold, one silver), bringing her career total to 10 world championship medals.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolineprice/2025/10/25/vladimir-putin-congratulates-neutral-gymnast-angelina-melnikova-on-world-titles/
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