In just a few hours, Krzyna Zimanoskaga (24) would have been a contender for our sprint superstar Mujinja Kampunge (29). The Belarusian wanted to qualify for the next round at a distance of 200 m. But this does not happen. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus said on Telegram that the runner had been examined by a doctor and would not participate in any other competitions due to her “psycho-emotional state”.
But the athlete says: Your committee is lying. She is in good health. Instead, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko (66 years old) wants to kidnap you! Because she criticized it publicly.
Too few doping tests, wrong majors
Two caregivers came to her room on Sunday and asked her to pack her things. Zimanuskaga told Reuters news agency that they went to the airport together. There she should have taken a plane back to Belarus.
Your story seems reasonable. Because if Lukashenko does not like something, then it is his compatriots who have their own ideas. Zimanoskaga had complained about her coaches on social media in the previous days. She said many Belarusian athletes did not pass adequate doping tests and had to stay indoors. So she should have taken her place in the disciplines she had not trained in. She told Reuters news agency: “The coaches recommended me for the 4x400m relay without my knowledge. I talked about it in public. Then the coach came to me and said someone upstairs ordered me to be removed from the team.”
Asylum in Germany or Austria
But the Belarusians did not count on the fighting spirit of Zimanoskaya. At the airport she challenged her rules. Using the video, she asked the IOC for help: they were trying to get her out of the country without her consent. At the airport, she also managed to attract the attention of the local authorities. “I’m with the police,” she told Reuters. “I think I’m sure.” Police confirmed that a Belarusian athlete was with them at the airport.
The Belarus Olympic Committee has not yet commented on this. Nothing was heard from Lukashenko either. The International Olympic Committee is now investigating the case.
criticism is punished
Alexander Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since 1994. His regime often refers to criticism of the dictator as a “mental disorder”, and jails members of the opposition on this charge.
Last year, many people protested against Lukashenko on the streets of Belarus. Including such notable athletes as basketball player Alina Lyuchanka and decathlon player Andrei Krauchanka. You have been arrested along with countless government critics. Other protesters lost their jobs with the state or were expelled from the national teams.
“It’s confusing to act like this.”
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tishanovskaya, 38, told Bild: “This is further evidence of the regime’s brutality and incompetence. Behaving like this during the biggest sporting event is baffling. The toxicity of the system continues to increase, it is dangerous for the entire world.” Whoever supports the regime risks participating in its toxicity.”
An anonymous source told Reuters that Zimanoskaga was planning to seek asylum in Germany or Austria on Monday. The Olympics will likely go on without the Belarusian. (vof)
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