Krystsina Tsimanouskaja’s coach was sentenced to five years for insulting human dignity and abuse of power.
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskajan life changed at the Summer 2021 Olympics in Tokyo after he criticized Belarus’ sports management and his country’s doping situation on social media.
At that time, Tsimanouskaja published an update in which he questioned his nomination to the 4 x 400 meter relay, when the team’s other two runners were left out of the Tokyo competition due to incomplete doping test results.
The sprinter deleted his publication afterwards, but the case had had time to swell up to a large extent before the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and in the state media operating under the country’s government.
Poland is a new homeland
In Tokyo, Tsimanouskaja’s participation in the 200-meter race was denied, and an attempt was made to send him back to Belarus. The sprinter refused to return to his homeland. With the help of the authorities, Tsimanouskaja eventually fled to Poland, which granted her a humanitarian visa.
– I have been pressured, and they are trying to take me out of the country without my consent. That’s why I ask that the International Olympic Committee intervene in this, the runner said In a video published on Instagram and said he was scared.
After the events, Tsimanouskaja has lived in exile. In the summer of 2022, he received Polish citizenship.
The coach felt it
On Wednesday, the International Association of Athletics Federations (WA) announced that it had handed out sanctions to Tsimanouskaja, 27, in connection with the case. Former head coach of the Belarusian Olympic team and Tsimanouskaja’s former personal coach Yuri Moisevich was banned for five years by the union’s decision.
According to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the ethics monitoring unit of the International Athletics Federation, Moisevič’s actions were “a clear violation of the athlete’s human dignity and an abuse of power.”
According to Tsimanouskaja, Maisevič, among other things, tried to force him to return from Tokyo to Belarus. Moisevič was also considered to have given inaccurate information to the parties that investigated the case. Moisevič, 63, retired from coaching last May.
– The human dignity of all athletes is extremely important, and every effort must be made to ensure that there is no harassment, abuse or any fraudulent activity in their competitive environment, AIU President David Howman said in a statement.
Today, Tsimanouskaja, who represents Poland, participated in the World Championships in Budapest last year. In 200 meters, he reached the semi-finals. In addition, Tsimanouskaja was part of Poland’s fifth-placed 4 x 100-meter relay team.
Next summer, he will represent Poland at the Paris Olympics.
– In short, I can say that I am happy that this long story has come to a logical conclusion and I can currently continue my sports career and prepare for the next Olympics, Tsimanouskaja wrote on Wednesday in her Instagram update.