Tokyo: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Friday that it has cancelled the accreditation of two Belarus coaches. These two coaches had tried to cut short sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya’s Tokyo Games. The IOC also said that the two have been removed from the athletes’ village. Athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak were asked to leave the Olympic village. This order was given by the IOC days after they ordered Krystina Tsimanouskaya to pack her bags and go to the airport.
Tsimanouskaya gave the information Thursday to ‘Reuters’. She said the two officials had told her the order to send her home came from ‘high up’ in Belarus.
In a saga reminiscent of Cold War sporting defections, Tsimanouskaya caused a furore Sunday. This happened when Tsimanouskaya refused to board a flight home and sought protection from Japanese police. Then she sought asylum in Poland. She has been reunited with her husband Thursday.
The 24-year-old athlete’s case threatens to further isolate Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He is under Western sanctions after a crackdown on opponents since last year. Lukashenko’s son heads the national Olympic Committee.
“We are not the ones who made the decision, we are only executing it,” Tsimanouskaya said the two officials told her. “You have 40 minutes. You have to pack your things and go to the airport,” they added.
Lukashenko’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment after Tsimanouskaya’s interview.
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The two coaches would return to Minsk immediately, the Belarus Olympic committee said in a statement Friday. It added that the coaches could appeal the decision and they hoped to continue a dialogue with the IOC.
IOC president Thomas Bach called Tsimanouskaya’s case ‘deplorable’ Friday and said the disciplinary commission would continue. “We are happy Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is safe in Poland,” Bach said.
Tsimanouskaya said she decided to defect as she was being driven to a Tokyo airport. She took the decision because her grandmother told her that it was not safe to return home to Belarus. She said she would testify in a disciplinary commission Friday. Tsimanouskaya also urged the IOC to defend her and other athletes. “I hope that the International Olympic Committee will make the right decision and will defend the athlete and defend me,” she said.
The IOC has come under scrutiny for failing to prevent the athlete being removed from the Games for expressing her views about coaching staff.
In the past, the Olympics organising body has acted swiftly to suspend athletes, officials or team members. It took four days in the case of the Belarus coaches before they were ejected from the Games.
“In the interest of the wellbeing of the athletes of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus who are still in Tokyo, and as a provisional measure, the IOC cancelled and removed last night the accreditations of the two coaches,” the IOC said Friday. “They will be offered an opportunity to be heard,” the IOC added.
Tsimanouskaya told ‘Reuters’ the IOC had acted quickly when she was taken to the airport and remained in contact with her. She also said her teammates had not been in touch fearing repercussions. “I think that they don’t support me because they are afraid,” Tsimanouskaya was quoted as saying by ‘Reuters’. “If they say something to support me it can end badly for them,” she added.
On the track at 4×400 metre heats Thursday, Belarusian athletes were tight-lipped about Tsimanouskaya’s situation. “The team continue to fulfil their duties and take part in the competition,” said hurdler Elvira Herman, who ran the 4x400m relay for Belarus. “We came here to take part in the Olympics, not to cause problems.”