Belarus sprinter who defected during Olympics wants to run for Poland

While it can take up to three years to change a sporting citizenship, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya hopes her application will be fast-tracked

‘I have decided to stay in Poland and compete for the Polish national team,’ says Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (EPA)

The Belarusian sprinter who defected during this summer’s Tokyo Olympics has said that she wants to run for Poland.

In an interview on RBC television channel, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said that she plans to apply for Polish citizenship so that she can become a part of the national track team.

She said: “We are now going to try to change my sporting citizenship so that I can compete for the Polish national team”.

While she acknowledged that it can take up to three years to change a sporting citizenship, Ms Tsimanouskaya said that she hoped her application would be fast-tracked.

She added: “I have decided to stay in Poland and compete for the Polish national team.”

The 24-year-old sprinter sought refuge in Poland following a dramatic fallout with her coaching staff at the Olympics, for which she feared retribution from Belarus, which has witnessed a crackdown on anti-government dissent since a disputed national election a year ago.

Ms Tsimanouskaya criticised her coaching staff on Instagram, writing that they had entered her into the 4x400m relay event ­– a race in which she had never competed – while she was supposed to run in the 200m sprint.

Following her criticism she was told that she would not be competing at all and would be returning to Belarus early; she said that team officials had told her to say that she was injured.

While en route to the airport, the sprinter spoke with her grandmother who advised her not to return to Belarus, informing her of a massive backlash against her in the local media.

Ms Tsimanouskaya was able to communicate her concerns for her wellbeing to Japanese authorities who assisted her. She was then able to present herself at the Polish embassy in Tokyo where she was granted a humanitarian visa.

She landed in Poland in early August where she has remained with her husband, who was also granted a humanitarian visa.

Over the weekend, Ms Tsimanouskaya competed in the Wieslaw Maniak Memorial athletics meeting in Szczecin, coming in third place in both the women’s 100m and 200m sprints; while her results were still listed as Belarusian, if granted Polish sporting citizenship, she could soon compete under the banner of the country that granted her refuge.