The International Olympic Committee stripped two Belarusian coaches of their accreditation for the Tokyo Games on Friday over allegations that they attempted to force sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya to return to Belarus.
Belarus says it removed Timanovskaya from the country's national team because of her emotional state. But Timanovskaya, who appealed to Tokyo police for help at the airport on Sunday because of concerns for her safety, says she was targeted because she criticized her coaches on social media. She is now in Poland on a humanitarian visa.
"Why should I solve these problems? Even though I have never run 400 meters, I would be ready to help and go with them on the same track. But I believe that higher-ranking people must have respect for us and sometimes reckon with our opinion!" Timanovskaya said in a video posted to Instagram, which has since been taken down.
"Athletes are favored by the state and honored by society," Heather McGill, Amnesty International's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Researcher, said in a statement. "It is not surprising that athletes who speak out find themselves a target for reprisals." Two-time Olympic basketball champion Yelena Leuchanka, who is a well-known athlete in Belarus, signed the letter. She was then arrested and detained for 15 days, according to Amnesty International.
As the Belarusian national team departed for the Games, Lukashenko told the athletes: "If you go there like tourists and bring nothing back, you [had] better not return to the country."Two more Belarusian athletes who were traveling abroad in Germany announced that they won't be returning to Belarus this week.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
IOC removes two Belarus coaches, sprinter says order came from 'high up'Two Belarus coaches who cut short sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya's Tokyo Games have had their accreditation revoked and were removed from the athletes village, the IOC said on Friday.
Read more »
Biden sends Team USA personal message in TODAY exclusive: ‘In you, a country saw itself’The president shared an exclusive message with the athletes who represented the United States in the Tokyo Olympics.
Read more »
Canadian Soccer Star Quinn Is the First Openly Transgender and Nonbinary Olympic MedalistQuinn, a midfielder for the Canadian women's soccer team, is now the first openly transgender and nonbinary athlete to medal at the Olympics.
Read more »
Why it's unsurprising to see Trump condemn US Olympic athletes.MaddowBlog: The Olympics tends to inspire at least some degree of patriotism, with American fans cheering on American athletes. With fmr. President Trump, it's different.
Read more »
IOC kicks out two Belarus coaches from Olympics over Tsimanouskaya debacleThe IOC have booted out two Belarus team coaches from the Olympics, four days after they tried to force sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya back to their country
Read more »