1 year ago. Warszawa, Poland

Belarussian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya lands in Poland for refuge

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya flew into Warsaw on Wednesday night on a humanitarian visa
Tsimanouskaya said that she was forced to leave Tokyo against her will
Her plane was diverted to a different airport facility used by government personnel

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who feared for her safety at home after being thrown out of the team from the Tokyo Olympics for criticising her coaches, flew into Warsaw on Wednesday night on a humanitarian visa after leaving the Tokyo Olympics, according to media reports.

The 24-year-old athlete had arrived in the Polish capital after flying from Tokyo via Vienna, Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said in a statement, he "wanted to thank all the Polish consular & diplomatic staff involved, who flawlessly planned and secured her safe journey," the Associated Press reported.

Her plane, which was reportedly flying from Vienna, was diverted to a different airport facility used by government personnel and was not visible. According to passengers on the aircraft, one young woman was left on board while they disembarked and boarded buses to the main terminal.

In a dramatic weekend standoff at the Tokyo Games, Tsimanouskaya was due to compete in the women's 200m event on Monday. But after she had complained on social media about being entered into the 4x400 relay race even though she has never raced in the event. The criticism set off a massive backlash in state-run media in Belarus, where the government has relentlessly stifled any criticism.

The sprinter said she was "put under pressure" by the team officials to return home and sought the help of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the matter.

"They are trying to get me out of the country without my permission," she said in a video posted on the Telegram channel of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), a group that supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views, BBC reported.

Before she left Japan, she said she hoped to continue her running career but that safety was her immediate priority. Her husband fled Belarus shortly after his wife said she would not be returning, and Poland has also offered him a visa, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The IOC in a statement said that it was seeking clarification from Belarussian officials - who earlier said she was taken off the team because of her "emotional and psychological condition".

The unravelling situation around the sprinter yet again highlights Belarus’ uncompromising authoritarian government.

After the nation was shaken by months of protests following a presidential election that the opposition and the West viewed as fraudulent, authorities responded by detaining 35,000 people and assaulting thousands of protestors.

It’s not clear what’s next for the runner — either in her sporting life or her personal one.

#Politics #International #Poland

Belarussian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya lands in Poland for refuge

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