• The Belarusian athlete is in Poland: "I will return to my country when I consider it safe"

  • Tokyo2020, the Belarusian athlete Tsimanouskaya arrived in Warsaw

  • Tokyo2020.

    The story of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a Belarusian athlete critical of the regime, seeks asylum

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August 06, 2021 The two Belarusian coaches involved in the attempt to repatriate athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who is now in Poland, have their accreditation withdrawn and they have left the Olympic village in Tokyo. These are Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich. 



In a statement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) explained that it had revoked the accreditation "provisionally, for the well-being of the athletes of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus who are still in Tokyo" and that the two coaches, Artur Shimak and Yuri Maisevich, "will have the opportunity to be heard" as part of the disciplinary proceedings initiated to shed light on what happened.



Tsimanouskaya was welcomed by Poland after asking for Japanese police protection against her delegation's attempt to repatriate her. The athlete, after having published messages on social media in which he criticized his technicians for having included her in a race without informing her first, had expressed fears for her life and, for this reason, had requested and obtained protection from the Japanese country. On Monday he then obtained a humanitarian visa from Poland where he is currently located. In some interviews she said that it was her grandmother who advised her not to return to Minsk.   



After publicly criticizing her federation during the Tokyo Olympics, the sprinter said that the two coaches entered her room and ordered her to pack her bags immediately, to return to Belarus. Then came the phone call from her grandmother who told her not to leave because doubts about her mental condition were raised on television. "I couldn't believe it and I asked her, 'Are you sure?' And she said, "Yes. I'm sure. Don't go back, "she said." That's why I went to the police. "And then she fled to Warsaw.   



Belarus claimed that the athlete was removed from the Olympic team due to her emotional state, but she explained that this is not true. The case has once again put the spotlight on the Lukashenko regime after the wave of repression against the opposition. The sprinter has assured that she wants to go back to her homeland, but not now, because it is too dangerous.