Krystsina Tsimanouskaya

Krystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya^[a] (Belarusian: Крысціна Сяргееўна Ціманоўская, Łacinka: Kryscina Siarhiejeŭna Cimanoŭskaja, pronounced [krɨsʲt͡sina sʲarˈɣʲɛjɛwna t͡simaˈnɔwskaja]; born 19 November 1996) is a Belarusian-Polish sprinter.^[1] She has won numerous medals at various events, including a silver medal in the 100 metres at the 2017 European U23 Championships, a gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2019 Summer Universiade, and a silver medal in the team event at the 2019 European Games.^[2]

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya

Tsimanouskaya at the 2019 Summer Universiade
Personal information
Born	(1996-11-19) 19 November 1996 (age 26) Klimavichy, Mogilev Region, Belarus
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	61.5 kg (136 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
Club	BFST Dynamo
Medal record Representing  Belarus European Games 2019 Minsk team event 2019 Minsk 100 metres Summer Universiade 2019 Naples 200 metres European Athletics U23 Championships 2017 Bydgoszcz 100 metres

Tsimanouskaya qualified to represent Belarus at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the women's 100 m and 200 m events. On 30 July 2021, during the Games, she accused officials from the Belarus Olympic Committee of forcing her to compete in the 4 × 400 metres relay race without her consent. On 1 August 2021, she was taken to Tokyo's Haneda Airport against her will, where she refused to board a flight back to Belarus. She was eventually given police protection and granted a humanitarian visa by Poland.

Early life

Krystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya was born in Klimavichy, a town in eastern Belarus.^[3] Though she raced for fun as a child, she joined competitive athletics late, receiving an offer from an Olympic trainer to join his academy when she was about 15 years old. Her parents were initially worried, thinking she would not achieve an athletic career; they were convinced by Tsimanouskaya and her grandmother.^[3]

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing   Belarus
2015	European Junior Championships	Eskilstuna, Sweden	6	100 m	11.85
			17 h	200 m	24.51
2017	European Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	12 sf	60 m	7.39
	European U23 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	2	100 m	11.54
			4	200 m	23.32
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	31 h	60 m	7.37
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	13 sf	100 m	11.34
			10 sf	200 m	23.03
2019	European Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	7	60 m	7.26
	Universiade	Naples, Italy	6	100 m	11.44
			1	200 m	23.00
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	26 h	200 m	23.22
	European Games	Minsk, Belarus	2	Team event (100 m)	11.24
			2	100m	11.36
2021	European Indoor Championships	Toruń, Poland	–	60 m	DQ
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	38 h	100 m	11.47
			–	200 m	DNC

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tsimanouskaya qualified for her first Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m events, representing Belarus. On 30 July 2021 (postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), she finished 4th in the first round heat of the 100 m event with a time of 11.47.^[4] Prior to the 200 m event, Belarus Olympic Committee (NOC RB) officials withdrew her from the competition.^[5][6][7] On 2 August, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Tsimanouskaya's request to annul the decision of the NOC RB to stop her from participating at the Tokyo Olympics, stating that she was unable to prove her case.^[8][9] On 3 August, the CAS clarified that its judgement was based on the fact that Tsimanouskaya could not prove she would still attempt to compete at Tokyo while she was in the process of seeking asylum in other countries.^[10]

Repatriation incident and asylum

Main article: Belarus 2020 Summer Olympics scandal

 

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya with Polish minister Piotr Gliński in August 2021

On 30 July 2021, Tsimanouskaya recorded an Instagram video criticising officials from the Belarus Olympic Committee (NOC RB), saying that they had entered her in the 4 × 400 m relay race, a distance she had never contested, without her consent.^[11][12][13] On 1 August 2021, Belarusian media reported the attempt to forcibly return Tsimanouskaya to Belarus.^[14] Tsimanouskaya said to journalists that she was afraid of returning to Belarus,^[15] and she intended to claim asylum.^[16][17] After contacting airport police, on 2 August, she was granted a humanitarian visa to Poland.^[18][19][20]

Though most of western Europe had offered her protection, she reportedly chose to seek asylum in Poland as the country had expressly offered her the opportunity to continue competing;^[21] the IOC made contact with officials from the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOI) regarding Tsimanouskaya resuming competition.^[10] On 4 August, Tsimanouskaya flew to Warsaw Chopin Airport, where she was met by Polish officials and Belarusian expatriates.^[22] President of the IOC Thomas Bach and the Japanese foreign ministry both gave statements on 6 August describing what happened to Tsimanouskaya as "deplorable" and "unjust".^[23]

Personal bests

Outdoor

• 100 metres – 11.04 (+0.7 m/s, Minsk 2018)
• 200 metres – 22.78 (−1.2 m/s, Minsk 2019)

Indoor

• 60 metres – 7.21 (Mogilyov 2017)
• 200 metres – 23.62 (Mogilyov 2019)

Notes

1. Russian: Kristina Sergeyevna Timanovskaya (Кристина Сергеевна Тимановская, pronounced [tʲɪmɐˈnofskəjə])

References

1. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya at World Athletics
2. (PDF). 2019 European Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
3. Roth, Andrew (2 August 2021). "Belarus sprinter faces long exile in Poland after seeking refuge". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
4. . Olympics. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
5. "Sports court denies Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya's appeal". ESPN. Associated Press. 3 August 2021.
6. ""Они накосячили с девчонками" — белорусская легкоатлетка Тимановская заявила, что "очень крутое начальство" поставило ее на эстафету на Олимпиаде без ее ведома". Telegraf.by (in Belarusian). 30 July 2021. from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
7. "Из-за косяка чиновников (они включили дурака и не признают вину) у беларусов в Токио подвисла эстафета 4 по 400. В нее заявляют девушек совсем другого профиля – и это просто жесть". BY.Tribuna.com (in Belarusian). from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
8. "CAS отклонил запрос белоруски Тимановской о ее допуске к Олимпиаде". RBC. 2 August 2021.
9. "CAS отклонил запрос Тимановской на отмену решения НОК Беларуси, заявив, что спортсменка не доказала свою правоту". sports.ru. 2 August 2021.
10. "IOC investigates allegations that Belarus tried to force sprinter home". Euronews. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
11. Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (2 August 2021). "Belarusian sprinter refuses to leave Tokyo". Reuters. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
12. "'We're just normal sports people': Belarusian sprinter arrives at Polish embassy in Tokyo as husband enters Ukraine". Sky News. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
13. ""Чаму я даведваюся пра гэта ад левых людей?" Функцыянеры паставілі спартсменку, якая бегае спрынт, на эстафету 4х400". Наша Ніва (in Belarusian). from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
14. "Фонд спортивной солидарности/BSSF". Telegram. from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
15. ""Проста сказалі збіраць рэчы": Ціманоўская пра выгнанне з Алімпіяды ў Токіа" (in Belarusian). European Radio for Belarus. from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
16. "Belarus Olympics: Krystsina Tsimanouskaya refusing to fly home". BBC Sport. August 2021. from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
17. "Belarusian sprinter who criticised coaches refuses to be sent home". The Guardian. 1 August 2021. from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
18. "Belarusian sprinter enters Polish embassy after refusing to board flight". ITV News. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
19. Isachenkov, Vladimir; Keyton, David (4 August 2021). "Belarus Olympic runner who feared going home lands in Vienna". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
20. Miecznicka, Magdalena (20 August 2021). "Olympic defector Krystsina Tsimanouskaya: 'Eventually, we will win'". Financial Times. Warsaw, Poland. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
21. Roth, Andrew (2 August 2021). "Belarus athlete who refused to fly home reportedly seeks asylum in Poland". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
22. Ptak, Alicja; Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (3 August 2021). "Belarusian sprinter reaches Poland after defying order home". Reuters. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
23. "Belarus: IOC expels two coaches over Krystina Timanovskaya case". BBC News. 6 August 2021.

Further reading

• "The Guardian view on Belarus: an Olympic athlete joins the exodus". The Guardian. 2 August 2021.
• "Opinion: An Olympian reminds us: In Belarus, honesty can be a crime". The Washington Post. 2 August 2021.
• "The Times view on the fugitive athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya: Olympic Trial". The Times. 3 August 2021.