The Belarusian athlete Kryscina Cimanouska takes part in the first press conference in Poland, where she was granted a humanitarian visa. On Wednesday, the runner flew to Warsaw from Vienna. He does not intend to return to the country for fear of reprisals.
At the beginning of the conference, Cimanouska thanked everyone for their support and said that thanks to the efforts of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, the Belarusian diaspora and the international community, she had obtained refuge in Poland. She said she was not going to miss the Tokyo Olympics.
Cimanouska: I’m glad I’m safe
– I am glad that I am safe, I am grateful to the Polish diplomatic services and the government – she emphasized. She emphasized that she chose Poland after talking to her parents. As she added, “she is only waiting for her husband” who is to join her.
Kryscina Cimanouska in WarsawRadek Pietruszka / PAP
– When I was in the Olympic Village, people from our team came to me and told me to say that I was injured and I wanted to return home, and if I refused, I might have problems in Belarus – she revealed.
Cimanousek about the campaign
Cimanouska also cited the accounts of her grandmother, who warned her against returning home due to the campaign against her in the Belarusian regime media. She emphasized that her disputes with representatives of the Belarusian sports union concerned only sports issues
“I am a little surprised that the whole situation was so politicized. It was only a situation related to sport” – said Cichanouska
On Sunday, the athlete informed that due to criticism of the actions of the sports authorities of her country, she was removed from participation in the Olympics, and the officers tried to force her to leave for Belarus.
Main photo source: Radek Pietruszka / PAP