Berlin (dpa) – The Belarusian athlete Kristina Timanowskaja, who now lives in Poland, takes part in the fate of her former colleagues in view of the sanctions at home.
“The athletes are suffering, they can no longer compete. Of course, they now had the chance to compete under the neutral flag, but nobody agreed to that,” said the athlete in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.
“Some athletes I’ve spoken to, including some who have even competed in the Olympics, are now considering retiring, emigrating, and then maybe trying a sports career abroad,” she said. Since Russia attacked Ukraine, Belarus, as an ally, has also been hit by sanctions.
Spectacular Escape 2021
Timanovskaya’s case and her spectacular flight to Poland caused a sensation internationally in the summer of 2021. She was to be returned against her will to her home country, which is ruled authoritarian by President Alexander Lukashenko, after a clash with sports officials at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. She had then contacted the Japanese police and the International Olympic Committee and fled to Poland, which issued her with a humanitarian visa.
In the future, the sprinter wants to start for her adopted country. “I will compete for Poland. But if you change nations, a three-year “quarantine” is planned. I now want to apply for this time to be shortened in my case because of the special circumstances,” said Timanovskaya, who is with her husband lives in Poland. “I no longer have a future in Belarus,” she stressed.
She has practically no longer had any contact with her Belarusian colleagues. “Most of them blocked me immediately after the incident, maybe because they were ordered to do so, but maybe also because they were afraid they would also be pursued,” said Timanovskaya. “I’m only in contact with a few. They are all opposed to the war but are afraid to speak out publicly.”