Athletics: Coach who wanted to force Olympic participants back to Belarus banned for five years

“The actions of Jurij Moisevich, 62, in Tokyo were judged to be a clear violation of the athlete’s dignity and an abuse of power,” writes the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, in its decision.

The incident became one of the most high-profile of the Tokyo Games and caused a diplomatic crisis with the IOC, the Japanese organizer, Poland and Belarus.

  • Questioned selection of 4×400 meters

    It was after questioning why she would run one of the 4×400 meter legs, a leg she had never run, that the team management decided she would be sent home to Belarus and escorted by two leaders, Moisevich being one, to Haneda Airport.

    In the judgment against Moisevich, the AIU emphasizes that he lied about the circumstances at the airport. The suspension for the 62-year-old applies until February 2029.

    Tsimanouskaya sought help at the airport and was granted asylum in Poland where she lives and competes for the country and aims to participate in the Olympics in Paris where 100 and 200 meters are up for grabs.

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