BBC Homepage

 Skip to content
 Accessibility Help
 Sign in
 Home
 News
 Sport
 Reel
 Worklife
 Travel
 Future
 Culture
 More
Search
BBC News
 Home
 Coronavirus
 Video
 World
 Asia
 UK
 Business
 Tech
 Science
 Stories
 Entertainment & Arts
More
 World
 Africa
 Australia
 Europe
 Latin America
 Middle East
 US & Canada

Belarus: IOC expels two coaches over

Krystina Timanovskaya case
Published
2 hours ago
Share
media captionAthlete Krystina Timanovskaya: "It's dangerous for me in Belarus"
Two Belarusian coaches have lost their Olympic accreditations after allegedly attempting
to force an athlete to leave the Games in Tokyo.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich
had left the Olympic Village. An investigation is under way.
The case of Krystina Timanovskaya caught global attention after she refused her team's orders to
fly home.
She is now in Poland, where she has been granted a humanitarian visa.
The case has again put the spotlight on Belarus, which has been ruled by authoritarian President
Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. Last year, nationwide protests over his disputed re-election
were violently repressed by the security forces.
Belarus says Ms Timanovskaya was removed from the national team because of her emotional
state. But the 24-year-old says this is not true, saying she was removed because she spoke on
Instagram about the "negligence of [her] coaches".
In a statement, the IOC said it had removed the accreditations of the two coaches "as a
provisional measure... in the interest of the wellbeing of the athletes of the National Olympic
Committee of Belarus who are still in Tokyo".
The body said a disciplinary commission had been established to investigate the incident and that
both coaches would be "offered an opportunity to be heard".
The Belarusian Olympic committee released its own statement on Friday, reported by state
news agency Belta. It said it was working with the IOC to "clarify" the reasons behind their
decision, and vowed to protect its team from "any forms of discrimination".
The body confirmed the coaches would return to Belarus soon, but said they "reserve the right to
appeal this decision".
IOC President Thomas Bach said at a press conference on Friday the committee was "happy" Ms
Timanovskaya was safely in Poland, and called what happened to her "deplorable", Reuters news
agency reported.
Japan's foreign ministry said it was "unjust" and "not acceptable" that Belarusian authorities had
pressured the sprinter to fly home, Reuters reported. 
IMAGE SOURCEAFP
image captionKrystina Timanovskaya travelled to Poland on Wednesday
Ms Timanovskaya's removal came after the sprinter complained on social media about being
entered into the 4x400m relay race at short notice, after some team-mates were found to be
ineligible to compete.
The video led to criticism in state media, with one television channel saying she lacked team
spirit.
Ms Timanovskaya said two coaches came into her room and told her to pack her bags
immediately, ready to return home. She was told to say that she had been injured.
In an interview with the BBC, she said she was on her way to the airport last week when her
grandmother warned her it was not safe to return, after watching local news reports on the
situation.
 The 'kindness and propaganda' of a life in Belarus
 Belarus dissidents who disappeared and died

At the airport, Ms Timanovskaya showed officers a translated plea for help on her phone in an
effort to avoid being put on a plane home.
She was then given police protection before being moved to the Polish embassy in Tokyo. She
travelled to Poland on Wednesday.
The mass protests that gripped Belarus last year saw security forces often use violence to break
up the demonstrations and thousands of people arrested.
Some of the protesters were national-level athletes, who were then stripped of funding, cut from
national teams and detained.
But Ms Timanovskaya insists that she is "not a political girl" and just wants to focus on her
sporting career.
"I don't know anything about politics. I never was in politics," she said.
The sprinter told the BBC she wanted to return to Belarus, but that it was too dangerous at the
moment.
Her husband has also fled Belarus and has been given a visa for Poland, but her relatives remain
in the country.
Related Topics
 Belarus

More on this story


Olympic athlete: 'It's dangerous for me in Belarus'

Published
19 hours ago

The 'kindness and propaganda' of a life in Belarus

Published
2 June

Belarus Olympic athlete arrives in Poland

Published
1 day ago

Belarus sprinter given Polish humanitarian visa

Published
3 days ago

 Missing Belarus activist found dead in park

Published
2 days ago

Belarus dissidents who disappeared and died

Published
2 days ago
Top Stories

Olympics expels Belarus coaches over athlete removal

Ms Timanovskaya said she was forced to leave Tokyo after she complained about her
coaches online.

Published
2 hours ago

How Delta threatens China's zero Covid plan

Published
9 hours ago

Australia expands ban on citizens leaving country

Published
5 hours ago
Features

How Delta threatens China's zero Covid plan

Indian women lose hockey medal but win hearts


Filming the 'friendly' sharks that swimmers miss. VideoFilming the 'friendly' sharks that
swimmers miss


The runner who lifted Australia

Weekly quiz: Who was shown off as The Crown's new Queen?


How a road trip became a viral story of sex trafficking


Rwanda leads the fightback in Mozambique insurgency


Turkey fires: 'Our honey is gone' VideoTurkey fires: 'Our honey is gone'


Africa's top shots: Faster, higher, stronger

Elsewhere on the BBC

o
Lyrics quiz

Have you been getting these songs wrong?

o
Feeling hot

What happens to your body in extreme heat?

Most Read

Australia expands ban on citizens leaving country1
 
Olympics expels Belarus coaches for athlete removal2


Backlash over marriage query in Olympic interview3


Indian women lose hockey medal but win hearts4


Apple to scan iPhones for child sex abuse images5


Swiss woman found dead in Thailand6


Ethiopian rebels take Unesco world heritage town7


How Delta threatens China's zero Covid plan8


How a road trip became a viral story of sex trafficking9


South Park creators sign $900m deal for new seasons10

BBC News Services

  On your mobile
 On smart speakers
 Get news alerts
 Contact BBC News
 Home
 News
 Sport
 Reel
 Worklife
 Travel
 Future
 Culture
 Music
 TV
 Weather
 Sounds
 Terms of Use
 About the BBC
 Privacy Policy
 Cookies
 Accessibility Help
 Parental Guidance
 Contact the BBC
 Get Personalised Newsletters
 Why you can trust the BBC
 Advertise with us
 AdChoices / Do Not Sell My Info

© 2021 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read
about our approach to external linking.