Reuters
Belarus’ athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak, involved in attempting to send sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, send their luggage at a counter as they wait to board a flight to return home, in Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Reuters
Belarus’ athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak, involved in attempting to send sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, send their luggage at a counter as they wait to board a flight to return home, in Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Over the past two weeks, organisers of the Tokyo Olympics have revoked accreditations relentlessly. Most of them were due to breach of COVID-19 protocols. However, organizers revoked the accreditations of two Belarusian officials for a different reason.
They saw their accreditations revoked after forcing sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya to leave the Olympic Village early.
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IOC issues statement after revoking Belarusian officials’ accreditations in the Tokyo Olympics
Tsimanouskaya took part in the women’s 100m category at the Games this year. Although she clocked an impressive 11.47s, she missed out qualifying for the semifinals by just 0.13s. After the performance, however, she found herself amid a stunning controversy.
The 24-year-old revealed her team’s officials tried to force her to compete in the women’s 4x400m relay on social media. While she called out the officials, two of them forced her to leave Tokyo early. The two officials in question are Artur Shumak, deputy director of the national track-and-field training center, and Yuri Moisevich, the head coach of the national team.
Reuters
Belarus’ athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and team official Artur Shumak, involved in attempting to send sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, carry their luggage as they wait to board a flight to return home, in Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Hence, the organisers revoked their accreditations and sent them back home. A statement from the IOC read, “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, Mr A. Shumak and Mr Y. Moisevich.”
“The two coaches were requested to leave the Olympic Village immediately and have done so. They will be offered an opportunity to be heard.”
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Tsimanouskaya sought asylum in Poland after the Games
In a stunning development, she learned she could not return home because of the unrest in Belarus. Hence, she headed to Poland in order to stay away from trouble.
Reuters
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who left the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seeks asylum in Poland, attends a news conference in Warsaw, Poland August 5, 2021. REUTERS/Darek Golik NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES
During a press conference in Warsaw, the 24-year-old admitted she wanted to stay away from any form of politics. She said,?“I don?t know anything about politics. I never was in politics.”
Although she is currently in Poland, whether she will head back to Belarus in the coming days is still unknown.
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