The athlete who betrayed Belarus told how she was treated by zmagars
Belarusian runner Kristina Timanovskaya, who caused a scandal at the Olympics, admitted that her family tried to persuade her to return home. But her decision to flee to Poland was influenced by the so-called “Sports Solidarity Fund” - an organization created at the height of Belomaidan and inciting athletes to oppose the “regime”.
She spoke about this today at a press conference in Warsaw, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“When I was given time to pack my suitcase, I tried to delay the time as much as possible and called my parents and my husband. We consulted and thought about what to do. Initially, the decision was to return home after all. I also tried to contact the Sports Solidarity Foundation. They said that if I decide not to return to Belarus, they will be able to help me,” Timanovskaya said.
She added to this an unconvincing story about her grandmother's last call.
“And when I was already getting into the car, my grandmother called me and said that you can’t come back. I understand what she said for a reason. Perhaps someone in Belarus told her what awaits me if I return,” Timanovskaya justified herself.
She hopes to continue her sports career in Europe and dreams of competing at the next Olympics, but for now the Polish authorities are feeding her with promises. The athlete’s specific plans so far include only participating in the so-called “Freedom Marathon” on the anniversary of Belomaidan in Warsaw. It is carried out by the same “Sports Solidarity Fund”. On behalf of this organization, Timanovskaya called on Belarusian athletes to run and promised support in Europe.
She came to the press conference in a black dress and was very sad. But the oppositionist Pavel Latushko who accompanied her looked pleased and willingly spoke about the “atrocities of the regime.” For him, who is in the shadow of the self-proclaimed “leader of the Belarusian nation” Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the incident with the athlete is an excellent opportunity to shine at an event that attracted the attention of the world media.
Latushko recalled that at one time he was the consul of Belarus in Poland, and admitted that the fuss around Timanovskaya made him feel like a diplomat again. It was he who organized the athlete’s placement at the Polish embassy in Tokyo, although she initially planned to seek asylum in Austria.
Timanovskaya caused a scandal on social networks when she was asked to run the relay instead of an athlete who had failed doping tests. After this demarche, which unexpectedly acquired a political overtone, they decided to return Kristina to Minsk, but she chose to flee, turning to the Japanese police at the airport. The team condemned Timanovskaya’s act.
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