two Belarus Olympic officials involved in trying to send sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya home from the Olympics Tokyo Olympics The International Olympic Committee said on Friday that their Olympic certification has been revoked and removed from the athlete’s village.
The head coach of the Belarusian track and field team Yuri Moisevic and team official Artur Schumacher have been taken out of the athletes’ village where the team is located.
“For the well-being of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee athletes who are still in Tokyo, as a temporary measure, the IOC cancelled and cancelled two coaches, Mr. A. Shumak and Y. Moisevic last night,” International The Olympic Committee said in a statement.
“The two coaches were asked to leave the Olympic Village immediately and have already done so. They will have the opportunity to express their opinions.”
Belarusian Olympian Christina Zimanusskaya says she is waiting for her punishment when she returns home
Two days ago, the International Olympic Committee initiated disciplinary proceedings against these officials on the grounds that they played an important role in Zimanusskaya’s refusal to return to Belarus, which is reminiscent of the defection of athletes during the Cold War.
Zimanusskaya caused an uproar on Sunday When she said that the coach was angry at her criticism of sports issues, she ordered her to pack up and go to the airport even before the Tokyo game.
She refused to board the plane home and sought protection from the Japanese police at the airport, then stayed at the Polish Embassy for two nights, and then flew to the capital Warsaw via Vienna.
The International Olympic Committee stated: “The IOC Disciplinary Committee has been established in response to this case… to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and the role of the coach…”
On Friday, the Belarusian Olympic team in Tokyo could not be immediately reached for comment.
The case of the 24-year-old athlete may further isolate Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was sanctioned by the West after suppressing his opponent last year.
Poland has long criticized Lukashenko’s authoritarian rule and has sheltered many activists from Belarus.
exist Reuters exclusive interview On Thursday, Zimanusskaya said that she decided to defect when she was sent to Tokyo Airport because her grandmother told her that it was not safe to return to her home in Belarus.
The IOC investigates the case of the Belarusian sprinter, awaiting a report from the national Olympic body
“I have always stayed away from politics. I have not signed any letters or participated in any protests. I have not said anything against the Belarusian government,” she said.
“I am an athlete and I don’t know anything about political life. In my life, I try not to do anything except sports. I will try my best not to be distracted by politics.”
At that time, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus (NOC) had stated that the coach told Tsimanouskaya to withdraw from the Olympics based on the doctor’s advice on her emotional and psychological state.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; additional reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; editing by Lincoln Feast.)
