Equestrian rider becomes second Belarusian athlete to receive humanitarian visa from Poland


Equestrian rider becomes second Belarusian athlete to receive humanitarian visa from Poland

Equestrian rider Olga Safronova has become the second Belarusian athlete to receive a humanitarian visa from Poland after she publicly criticised the Belarusian Government.

Shortly before the Tokyo Olympics Safronova was excluded from the equestrian team and fled to Poland with her husband in mid-August. Safronova has criticised President Alexander Lukashenko’s Government which has led to her being classified as a traitor against the state.

Now that Safronova and her husband have been issued with humanitarian visas by Poland the rider hopes that she can ride for Poland if she later receives citizenship. Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya also fled to Poland before the Olympics started as she criticised coaches on social media before being taken to an airport against her will and ordered to fly home.

Tsimanouskaya said she was forced to miss her 200m race as Belarusian officials attempted to “forcibly take me out of the country without my consent” but President Lukashenko has disputed these claims and says she has been “manipulated.”

Both Alexander and his son Viktor Lukashenko, who is the National Olympic Committee President, were banned from attending the Tokyo Games after the IOC found they had discriminated against athletes for political reasons and even imprisoned some who took part in anti-government protests. The IOC has not recognised Viktor Lukashenko’s election as President.

You may also like

View All

Job Opportunity | Case Manager - National

Sport Resolutions has an exciting opportunity for an individual to join its passionate and experienced National Case Management Team to assist with the administration of domestic matters including football disciplinary procedures, Olympic and Paralympic disputes, and anti-doping rule violations 

Read More

World Athletics v Dominique Lasconi Mulamba

A decision in the case of World Athletics (WA) against Dominique Lasconi Mulamba has been issued by the World Athletics Disciplinary and Appeals Tribunal (DAT)

Read More

Prosecutors call for Gjert Ingebrigtsen to be imprisoned for 2.5 years

Prosecutors have called for Gjert Ingebrigtsen, father and former coach of double Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, to be imprisoned for 2.5 years for his “regime of repeated abuse” on Jakob and his younger sister Ingrid

Read More

Newsletter Signup

Please enter your email address below: