Polish Exiled Belarusian Track Athlete "Feels Threatened"

Published 09 Aug.2021 17:04(KST)

Belarusian track and field athlete Kristina Tsimanouskaya, who applied for asylum during the Tokyo Olympics [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Belarusian track and field athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who fled to Poland after applying for asylum in Europe during her participation in the Tokyo Olympics, has expressed concerns about her personal safety.

According to TASS news agency, Tsimanouskaya, who is staying in Warsaw, Poland with her husband, said in an NHK interview on the 9th (local time), "I always have to be under protection. I am not confident that I can go out safely."

She revealed that the death of Belarusian dissident Vitaly Shishov has made her even more anxious. Shishov, who had been supporting Belarusian nationals who fled to Ukraine to escape government oppression, was found hanged in a park near his home in Kyiv on the 3rd.

The police are considering the possibility that the death was a disguised murder rather than a suicide. A Belarusian dissident said, "The death of Shishov is interpreted as an attempt to intimidate Belarusians who have fled abroad."

Tsimanouskaya, whose main events are the 100m and 200m sprints, also expressed her desire to continue training to give courage to her compatriots. She said, "I want to continue participating in athletics to support Belarusian athletes and political prisoners."

During the Tokyo Olympics, Tsimanouskaya posted criticism of her national track and field coaching team on social media and was ordered to return home forcibly.

On the 1st, under pressure from Belarusian Olympic officials, she went to Tokyo airport to board a flight back home but sought help from local police and took refuge at the Polish embassy in Tokyo. After receiving a humanitarian visa from the Polish embassy, she left Tokyo, passed through Vienna, Austria, and arrived in Poland on the 4th.