Belarusian sprinter who defected plans to run for Poland
Reuters | Posted: August 19, 2021 11:54 AM | Last Updated: August 19, 2021
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya feared reprisal after refusing to return home during Tokyo Olympics
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya who defected during the Tokyo Olympics this month says she plans to apply for Polish sporting citizenship so that she can run for Poland.
Tsimanouskaya, 24, was taken in by Warsaw when her coaches told her to return to Belarus from Japan following a dispute, an order she refused to obey fearing for her safety.
WATCH | Belarusian athlete says she was taken to airport against her will:
Belarus has been gripped by a sweeping crackdown on anti-government dissent following mass protests that erupted last year over a disputed election.
In an interview with the RBC television channel aired late on Wednesday, Tsimanouskaya said it can take three years to change sporting citizenship, but she hoped her application would be fast-tracked.
"We are now going to try to change my sporting citizenship so that I can compete for the Polish national team," she said. "I have decided to stay in Poland and compete for the Polish national team."
WATCH | Olympian says grandmother warned her not to come back to Belarus: