Timanovskaya had criticized Belarus’ Olympic Committee for being forced to run the 4x400m relay, which is not a race she normally participates in. She specializes in the 200 meters.
disciplinary case
She was then driven to the Tokyo airport against her will. She feared for her safety if she did indeed return to Minsk and did not board the plane. She is now in Poland, which has granted her a visa. Her husband is also in Poland. He fled to Ukraine after Timanovskaya’s refusal, along with their child.
Two days ago, a disciplinary case was opened by the IOC against the two officials “to establish the facts”. It may not end with sending Shumak and Maysevich away and there are also consequences for the Belarus Olympic committee.
Not an activist
Yesterday Timanovskaja . gave a press conference in Poland. In it she said she would like to return to a “free Belarus”. She said she has never been involved in politics: “I have never been to protests and I have never spoken out against the Belarusian government.”
The fact that she refused to board the plane was partly due to a phone call from her grandmother: “My grandmother called me when I was already being driven to the airport,” according to the athlete. “All she said was ‘don’t come back, it’s not safe’. I had 10 seconds to decide.”
Watch images of Timanovskaya’s press conference here:
–
