Two more Belarusian athletes decided not to return to the country, the website of the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported. Jan Maksimawa, competing in the all-round event, and her husband, athlete Andrej Krauczanka announced that they would stay in Germany.
“We thought about it for a long time, thought about it and decided not to return to Belarus. To our great regret, now not only freedom but also life can be lost there” – wrote Maksimawa on Instagram. “Here (in Germany – ed.) It is possible to breathe fully and be one of those who fight for the freedom of their people, friends, relatives. We will definitely win” – added the athlete, informing that she would stay in Germany.
Maksimawa expressed her hope that her sports career would continue and that she would have the opportunity to participate in the next Olympic Games.
Jan Maksimaw Forum
Signature under the open letter
According to Deutsche Welle, the husband of Maksimawa, the athlete Andrej Krauczanka, who won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, will also remain in Germany. He is one of over 400 athletes who signed an open letter in August 2020 condemning the rigging of presidential election results and the violence of security forces against peaceful demonstrators. Soon after, Krauczanka was removed from the Belarus national team.
The couple decided not to return to the country after the decision Kryscina Cimanouska, which on Sunday announced that due to criticism of the actions of the sports authorities of her country, she had been removed from participation in the Tokyo Olympics, and that officials tried to force her to fly to Minsk.
Belarusian sprinter Kryscina Cimanouska revealed that attempts were made to send her back home from the Olympic GamesReuters / Twitter
She did not meet the qualification requirements
– After all the events that took place, I do not plan to return to Belarus. I have a daughter, I can’t risk it. I am one of those people who cannot remain silent, said Maksimawa, quoted by the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, which supports athletes persecuted in this country for political reasons.
In June, Jana Maksimawa won the Belarus Cup, but she could not take part in this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, because she did not meet the qualification requirements – recalled Radio Swoboda.
The Deutsche Welle portal has not informed whether the couple of athletes decided to stay in Germany during their stay in this country or in Belarus.
Main photo source: Forum