A Belarusian sprinter who appealed for international help to avoid being forced home prematurely from the Tokyo Olympics has obtained the right to represent Poland -- where she defected with her husband in 2021 -- at international tournaments after receiving citizenship.
The Belarusian Foundation for Sport Solidarity said on August 7 that World Athletics had approved the participation of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, also known as Kryscina Cimanouska, in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest this month.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Tsimanouskaya obtained Polish citizenship in August 2022.
In early August 2021, Tsimanouskaya took refuge in the Polish Embassy in Tokyo as Belarusian team officials tried to force her onto a flight back to Minsk after she criticized them. Two days later, she boarded a plane to Europe, reaching Warsaw via a stopover in Vienna.
Poland then granted the sprinter and her husband, who fled to Poland via Ukraine, humanitarian visas.
The 26-year-old athlete's plight became a major story from the Tokyo Olympics and refocused international attention on repression in Belarus a year after protests erupted when strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed victory in a disputed presidential election in August 2020.
Several protesters have been killed and thousands arrested during mass demonstrations demanding Lukashenka's resignation. There have also been credible reports of torture during a widening security crackdown.
In 2021, Lukashenka's son Viktar took over leadership of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee from his father in a move that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to recognize.
Also in August 2021, a coach of the Vitsyaz handball club in Minsk, Kanstantsin Yakauleu, fled to Ukraine weeks after he served 15 days in jail for taking part in an unsanctioned anti-government rally.
Belarusian heptathlete Yana Maksimava and her Olympic-medalist husband, Andrey Krauchanka, also announced at the time that they had decided to stay in Germany with their child due to the ongoing crackdown in Belarus.