Belarusian Sprinter Says She Was Taken to Airport Against Her Wishes After Criticizing Coaches

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said was taken to the airport in Tokyo against her wishes after she made comments criticizing her national team coaches.

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya told Reuters that she was taken to the airport in Tokyo against her will after she publicly criticized her national team's coaches.

Tsimanouskaya was expected to compete in the women's 200m event and the 4x400m relay before she was told to pack and was escorted to the airport to board a flight back to Belarus on Sunday. Tsimanouskaya then reportedly sought out airport police at Tokyo's Haneda airport in an attempt to avoid boarding the flight.

Tsimanouskaya was accompanied to the airport by two members of the Belarusian sports delegation. She is now with the police and volunteers. When asked if she was afraid to fly to #Belarus, Tsimanouskaya answered "yes". pic.twitter.com/LgqLjLrmU1

— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) August 1, 2021

The sprinter said that she won't return to Belarus and that she was removed from the team due "to the fact that I spoke on my Instagram about the negligence of our coaches." 

"Some of our girls did not fly here to compete in the 4x400m relay because they didn't have enough doping tests," Tsimanouskaya told Reuters. "And the coach added me to the relay without my knowledge. I spoke about this publicly. The head coach came over to me and said there had been an order from above to remove me."

The Belarusian Olympic Committee said in a statement that coaches chose to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from Tokyo on doctors' advice regarding her "emotional, psychological state."

Reuters also reported that a source at the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation said Tsimanouskaya is planning to request asylum in Germany or Austria on Monday. Tsimanouskaya also said that she had reached out to members of the Belarusian diaspora in Japan to retrieve her at the airport.

Grateful to #IOC for the quick reaction to the situation with the Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsymanouskaya. She has a right to international protection & to continue participation in the @Olympics. It is also crucial to investigate Belarus' NOC violations of athletes' rights. pic.twitter.com/QQHuhgcYqs

— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) August 1, 2021

In a tweet, the International Olympic Committee said it had seen the media reports regarding Tsymanouskaya and were looking to gain clarity from the National Olympic Committee.

"The IOC has seen the reports in the media about the Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya," the tweet on Sunday said. "We are looking into the situation and have asked the NOC for clarification."

The IOC has seen the reports in the media about the Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsymanouskaya. We are looking into the situation and have asked the NOC for clarification.

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 1, 2021

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