Krystsina Tsimanouskaya

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya
Tsimanouskaya in July 2019
Personal information
Full nameKrystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya
Born (1996-11-19) 19 November 1996
Klimavichy, Belarus
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight61.5 kg (136 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)
100 m, 200 m
ClubBFST Dynamo
Medal record
Representing Belarus
European Games
2019 Minsk team event
2019 Minsk 100 metres
Summer Universiade
2019 Naples 200 metres
European Athletics U23 Championships
2017 Bydgoszcz 100 metres
Representing Poland
Polish Indoor Athletics Championships
2023 Toruń 60 metres

Krystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya[a] (born 19 November 1996) is a Belarusian-born Polish sprinter.[1][2][3] She has won numerous medals at various events, including a silver medal in the 100 metres at the 2017 European U23 Championships, a gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2019 Summer Universiade, and a silver medal in the team event at the 2019 European Games.[4]

Tsimanouskaya qualified to represent Belarus at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, competing in the women's 100 m and 200 m events. On 30 July 2021, a scandal broke out during the Olympics when she accused officials from the Belarus Olympic Committee (BOC) of entering her into the 4 × 400 metres relay (a distance she had never contested) without her consent. BOC coaches withdrew her from the Olympics on 1 August and took her to Haneda Airport to return to Belarus, but she refused to board the plane and contacted Japanese authorities, who granted her police protection; she was given a humanitarian visa at the Polish embassy in Tokyo before flying to Poland, where she later gained Polish citizenship. In 2023, the World Athletics Nationality Review Panel waived the normal three-year waiting period for citizenship changes, allowing her to compete for Poland.

Early life

Krystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya was born in Klimavichy on 19 November 1996.[5] Though she raced for fun as a child, she joined competitive athletics late, receiving an offer from an Olympic trainer to join his academy when she was about 15 years old. Her parents were initially worried, thinking she would not achieve an athletic career, but she and her grandmother convinced them.[5]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing Belarus
2015 European Junior Championships Eskilstuna, Sweden 6 100 m 11.85
17 h 200 m 24.51
2017 European Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 12 sf 60 m 7.39
European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 2 100 m 11.54
4 200 m 23.32
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 31 h 60 m 7.37
European Championships Berlin, Germany 13 sf 100 m 11.34
10 sf 200 m 23.03
2019 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 7 60 m 7.26
Universiade Naples, Italy 6 100 m 11.44
1 200 m 23.00
World Championships Doha, Qatar 26 h 200 m 23.22
European Games Minsk, Belarus 2 Team event (100 m) 11.24
2 100m 11.36
2021 European Indoor Championships Toruń, Poland – 60 m DQ
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 38 h 100 m 11.47
– 200 m DNC
Representing Poland
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 30th (h) 100 m 11.32
23rd (sf) 200 m 23.34
5th 4 × 100 m relay 42.66
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 19th (sf) 200 m 23.34
8th (h) 4 × 100 m relay 43.151
Olympic Games Paris, France 6th (rep) 200 m 23.01
12th (h) 4 × 100 m relay 42.86
2025 World Relays Guangzhou, China 5th (rep) 4 × 100 m relay 43.38
World Championships Tokyo, Japan 8th (h) 4 × 100 m relay 42.832

1Did not finish in the final
2Disqualified in the final

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tsimanouskaya qualified for her first Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m events, representing Belarus. On 30 July 2021 (postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), she finished 4th in the first round heat of the 100 m event with a time of 11.47.[6] Prior to the 200 m event, Belarus Olympic Committee (NOC RB) officials withdrew her from the competition.[7][8][9] On 2 August, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Tsimanouskaya's request to annul the decision of the NOC RB to stop her from participating at the Tokyo Olympics, stating that she was unable to prove her case.[10][11] On 3 August, the CAS clarified that its judgement was based on the fact that Tsimanouskaya could not prove she would still attempt to compete at Tokyo while she was in the process of seeking asylum in other countries.[12]

Forced repatriation scandal

Main article: Belarus 2020 Summer Olympics scandal

On 30 July 2021, Tsimanouskaya criticised Belarus Olympic Committee (BOC) officials in an Instagram video, claiming that they had entered her into the 4 × 400 m relay race (a distance she had never contested) without her consent.[13][14][15] On 1 August, she was told by BOC officials that she was being withdrawn from competition, and would be taken to Tokyo's Haneda Airport to return to Belarus. After receiving a warning from her grandmother during a phone call, she refused to board the plane and contacted Japanese police and media outlets, telling them that she was afraid of returning to Belarus[16] and that she intended to claim asylum.[17][18] The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), an organisation dedicated to protecting athletes, confirmed that an attempt had been made to forcibly return her to Belarus.[19] She received Japanese police protection and was taken to the Polish embassy in Tokyo, where she was granted a humanitarian visa by Poland on 2 August.[20][21]

Though multiple European countries offered her protection, Tsimanouskaya reportedly chose to seek asylum in Poland as the country had expressly offered her the opportunity to continue competing,[22] and the IOC made contact with officials from the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOI) regarding the possibility of her resuming competition.[12] On 4 August, she flew from Tokyo to Vienna Airport in Austria, where she briefly stayed in the airport under the protection of Austrian police; according to the BSSF, she connected in Austria instead of flying directly to Poland for security reasons on the advice of Polish authorities.[23] She then flew to Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland, where she was met by Polish officials and Belarusian expatriates.[24] IOC President Thomas Bach and Japan's Foreign Ministry both gave statements on 6 August, describing the scandal as "deplorable" and "unjust".[25] Tsimanouskaya received Polish citizenship in June 2022.[26]

She competed for Poland at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay events.[27]

Personal bests

Outdoor

Indoor

  • 60 metres – 7.21 (Mogilyov 2017, Minsk 2019, Luxembourg 2024)
  • 200 metres – 23.45 (Toruń 2023)

Notes

  1. ^ Belarusian: Крысціна Сяргееўна Ціманоўская, romanized: Krystsina Syarhyeyewna Tsimanowskaya, pronounced [krɨsʲˈt͡sʲina sʲarˈɣʲɛjɛwna t͡sʲimaˈnɔwskaja]; Polish: Kryscina Cimanouska; Russian: Кристи́на Серге́евна Тимано́вская, romanized: Kristina Sergeyevna Timanovskaya.

References

  1. ^ Tétrault-Farber, Gabrielle (7 August 2023). "Two years after Olympic defection, Belarusian sprinter cleared to race for Poland". Reuters. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Belarusian athlete who fled Lukashenko becomes Polish citizen". euronews. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ^ Krystsina Tsimanouskaya at World Athletics
  4. ^ "Team results" (PDF). 2019 European Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b Roth, Andrew (2 August 2021). "Belarus sprinter faces long exile in Poland after seeking refuge". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Athletics – Round 1 – Heat 6 Results". Olympics. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Sports court denies Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya's appeal". ESPN. Associated Press. 3 August 2021.
  8. ^ ""Они накосячили с девчонками" — белорусская легкоатлетка Тимановская заявила, что "очень крутое начальство" поставило ее на эстафету на Олимпиаде без ее ведома". Telegraf.by (in Russian). 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Из-за косяка чиновников (они включили дурака и не признают вину) у беларусов в Токио подвисла эстафета 4 по 400. В нее заявляют девушек совсем другого профиля – и это просто жесть". BY.Tribuna.com (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  10. ^ "CAS отклонил запрос белоруски Тимановской о ее допуске к Олимпиаде". RBC. 2 August 2021.
  11. ^ "CAS отклонил запрос Тимановской на отмену решения НОК Беларуси, заявив, что спортсменка не доказала свою правоту". sports.ru. 2 August 2021.
  12. ^ a b "IOC investigates allegations that Belarus tried to force sprinter home". Euronews. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  13. ^ Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (2 August 2021). "Belarusian sprinter refuses to leave Tokyo". Reuters. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ "'We're just normal sports people': Belarusian sprinter arrives at Polish embassy in Tokyo as husband enters Ukraine". Sky News. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  15. ^ ""Чаму я даведваюся пра гэта ад левых людей?" Функцыянеры паставілі спартсменку, якая бегае спрынт, на эстафету 4х400". Наша Ніва (in Belarusian). 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  16. ^ ""Проста сказалі збіраць рэчы": Ціманоўская пра выгнанне з Алімпіяды ў Токіа" (in Belarusian). European Radio for Belarus. August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Belarus Olympics: Krystsina Tsimanouskaya refusing to fly home". BBC Sport. August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Belarusian sprinter who criticised coaches refuses to be sent home". The Guardian. 1 August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Фонд спортивной солидарности/BSSF". Telegram. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Belarusian sprinter enters Polish embassy after refusing to board flight". ITV News. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  21. ^ Miecznicka, Magdalena (20 August 2021). "Olympic defector Krystsina Tsimanouskaya: 'Eventually, we will win'". Financial Times. Warsaw, Poland. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  22. ^ Roth, Andrew (2 August 2021). "Belarus athlete who refused to fly home reportedly seeks asylum in Poland". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  23. ^ Isachenkov, Vladimir; Keyton, David (4 August 2021). "Belarus Olympic runner who feared going home lands in Vienna". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  24. ^ Ptak, Alicja; Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (3 August 2021). "Belarusian sprinter reaches Poland after defying order home". Reuters. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Belarus: IOC expels two coaches over Krystina Timanovskaya case". BBC News. 6 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Belarusian athlete who fled Lukashenko becomes Polish citizen". euronews. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  27. ^ "TSIMANOUSKAYA Krystsina". Paris 2024 Olympics. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024.

Further reading

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