Test Lists

  • Regression Package Testing List Page
Publisher QA3 - UPP Test
  • Regression Package Testing List Page
1 / 0

Belarus sprinter: Grandmother advised her not to return home

August 5, 2021
AP
Share this...
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Belarusian Olympic sprinter who feared reprisals at home after criticizing her coaches at the Tokyo Games said her grandmother advised her not to return to Belarus.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya left the Games and arrived in Poland on Wednesday.

She told reporters Thursday that her grandmother told her there were negative reports about her on TV in Belarus after her dispute with team officials became public.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Belarusian Olympic sprinter who feared reprisals at home after criticizing her coaches at the Tokyo Games has reached safety in Poland following a dramatic standoff.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, in a blue sweater and jeans, walked off a plane in Warsaw on Wednesday night, days after she accused team officials of trying to force her to fly back to Belarus, where an authoritarian government has relentlessly pursued its critics.

In footage posted on Facebook, the runner could be seen smiling as she spoke to a Polish official in a VIP section of the airport and also hugging a Belarus opposition leader. Many of the country’s activists have fled to Poland to avoid a brutal crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko’s government.

In rapid-fire series of events that brought international drama to the Tokyo Games, Tsimanouskaya said Belarus team officials hustled her to the airport and tried to send her home early after she criticized how her team was being managed. She refused to board the plane, and European countries that are critical of Lukashenko’s rule offered assistance. The Polish government eventually granted the athlete a humanitarian visa.

On Wednesday, Tsimanouskaya flew from Tokyo via Vienna, a circuitous route that Polish officials indicated was for security reasons.

It’s not clear what’s next for the 24-year-old runner — either in her sporting life or her personal one.

She has urged the International Olympic Committee to look into the dispute and said she hopes to continue her running career. But she added that her priority would be her own safety. She was expected to appear at a news conference in Warsaw later Thursday.

The standoff has drawn more attention to Belarus’ uncompromising authoritarian government. When the country was rocked by months of protests following an election that handed Lukashenko a sixth term but that the opposition and the West saw as rigged, authorities responded with a sweeping crackdown. Some 35,000 people were arrested and thousands of demonstrators beaten. The government has also targeted independent media and opposition figures.

In a sign of the lengths authorities are willing to go to silence their critics, Belarus officials diverted a passenger jet to the capital of Minsk in May and arrested a dissident journalist who was on board.

While Tsimanouskaya’s criticism was aimed at team officials — she complained that she was scheduled to participate in an event she had never competed in — her defiance may have not sit well with political authorities. Lukashenko, who led the Belarus National Olympic Committee for almost a quarter-century before handing over the job to his son in February, has a keen interest in sports, seeing it as a key element of national prestige.

Tsimanouskaya’s husband, Arseni Zdanevich, fled Belarus this week shortly after his wife said she would not be returning. Poland has also granted him a visa, and he is expected to join her.


Follow AP’s coverage of Belarus at https://apnews.com/hub/belarus

Categories: Madison Magazine Logo

Latest Stories

Eu Regulator Authorizes Astrazeneca Vaccine For All Adults

EU regulator authorizes AstraZeneca vaccine for all adults

Rayos Syndication User,
KXLY-Latest Stories

Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.

Ex Fbi Lawyer Given Probation For Russia Probe Actions

Ex-FBI lawyer given probation for Russia probe actions

Rayos Syndication User,
KXLY-Latest Stories

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.

Evers: Repealing Mask Mandate Like Eliminating Speed Limits

Evers: Repealing mask mandate like eliminating speed limits

Rayos Syndication User,
KXLY-Latest Stories

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.

Conservatives Praise South Carolina Win On Abortion Ban

Conservatives praise South Carolina win on abortion ban

Rayos Syndication User,
KXLY-Latest Stories

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.

Moscow Court Puts Navalny’s Allies Under House Arrest

Moscow court puts Navalny's allies under house arrest

Rayos Syndication User,
KXLY-Latest Stories

A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.

Most Popular

Test - Field59 Video player

4 Simple Ways Investing Can Double Your Money

Track and field to open season at Jack Jennett Open

How to set goals for 2021 when everything feels uncertain

Betty White's legacy goes far beyond the screen

The best train set

© 2025 Publisher QA3 – UPP Test.

Privacy Policy
Powered byBLOX Digital
X