By Ewelina Lepionko
A few days ago she becomes famous all over the world.
Krystina Tsimanouskaya is the Belarusian sprinter who refused to board a plane back from Tokyo to her home country saying she feared arrest upon her return.
Japan says a Belarus track sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is safe after she alleged her Olympic team tried to remove her from Japan in a dispute that led to a standoff at Tokyo’s main airport. Belarus' neighbor, Poland, has offered help to Tsimanouskaya. https://t.co/tXvBZf1tvQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 2, 2021
She says she was "put under pressure" by team officials to return home and asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for help.
What is it all about?
On Sunday, the 24-year-old sprinter took to social media to complain about her coaches after they scheduled her to compete in the 4-by-400-meter relay in addition to the 100- and 200meter dashes she trained for. Belarusian Olympic officials responded by pulling her out of the Games and attempted to force her to return home to Belarus, where she says she fears she could be targeted for retaliation by the Belarusian government.
forbes
Japan says a Belarus track sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is safe after she alleged her Olympic team tried to remove her from Japan in a dispute that led to a standoff at Tokyo’s main airport. Belarus' neighbor, Poland, has offered help to Tsimanouskaya. https://t.co/tXvBZf1tvQ
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 2, 2021
After all, she landed in Poland Wednesday following an exit from the Tokyo Games. She has received a humanitarian visa from Poland after the diplomatic drama unfolded in China.
She said her actions were not a political protest.
"I love my country and I didn't betray my country. This is about the mistakes that have been made by our officials at the Olympics."
BBC
State media in Belarus did not leave a thread on Tsimanouskaya, accusing her of ingratitude and an attempt to cover her poor sports form with an international scandal.
"Cheap publicity of a sportswoman who fell into the shade after an unsuccessful performance"
Biełaruś 1 station
According to Reuters, Tsimanouskaya was greeted at the Warsaw airport by fellow Belarusians living in Poland who gathered to support her, some of whom carried red and white flags and flowers, symbols of resistance against the country’s government.
Poland has long been critical of Lukashenko and harbored many activists from Belarus, has granted also her husband humanitarian visas.
Belarus Olympian taken to airport after publicly complaining about the national teamhttps://t.co/FJi28oXubi
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 1, 2021
It's not clear what's next for the runner — either in her sporting life or her personal one. She and her husband, Arseni Zdanevich, who has fled from Belarus to Ukraine must now start a new life in a new country.
Who is Krystsina Tsimanouskaya?
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, however, is one of the most talented Belarusian short-distance runners. She represented her country in the last European (2018 in Berlin) and world (2019 in Doha) athletics championships.
In addition, she competed in the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham and the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Its distances are 100 and 200 meters, as well as 60 meters in indoor competitions.
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya arrived safely in Warsaw ??. She was warmly welcomed. Let’s hope this horror will end soon and Krystsina, as well as thousands of other exiled Belarusians, will be able to return home, to free and democratic Belarus. pic.twitter.com/VZK51dH5zf
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) August 4, 2021
Her greatest success, however, is the gold medal won in 2019 in the 200-meter race during the Universiade in Naples. In Tokyo, she was to make her debut at the Olympics.
The runner is also a supporter of the Belarusian opposition. Last year, she supported the post-election protests against counterfeiting and spoke out publicly in defense of freedom of speech in Belarus
The incident has again put the spotlight on Belarus, which has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.
