MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. Athletes representing Russia and Belarus will be competing at the 2026 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Germany this month without national symbols, Torsten Hartmann, spokesperson for the German Gymnastics Federation, told TASS on Thursday.

"Russian and Belarusian athletes are permitted to participate in the rhythmic gymnastics competitions in Frankfurt am Main in accordance with World Gymnastics regulations," Hartmann stated.

"They will compete under neutral status and thus without national symbols (e.g., no flag, no national anthem). In the event of a medal ceremony or a victory, the World Gymnastics flag will be displayed, accompanied by neutral music," he pointed out.

"This status for delegations from Russia and Belarus at the 2026 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships was agreed upon by World Gymnastics, the German Gymnastics Federation, and the German Olympic Sports Federation, in collaboration with the German federal government. World Gymnastics has communicated this to both nations," Hartmann added.

On July 27, World Gymnastics urged against Russian athletes’ restrictions competing in the organization’s licensed tournaments, but stressed that some competitions may stipulate exceptions in case of restrictions from the authorities of the host countries.

On May 18, the Executive Committee of World Gymnastics decided to lift previously imposed restrictions on Russian athletes, allowing them to compete internationally under the Russian flag. European Gymnastics later informed TASS of the decision and stated it would decide on lifting restrictions by May 24, eventually following suit.

In December 2025, the IOC Executive Board issued recommendations allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions under national flags and anthems. The recommendation applied to both individual and team sports. Numerous international sports federations followed the proposal.