IOC expels two Belarus coaches from the Olympics

The International Olympic Committee expelled coaches from the Belarusian team on Friday from the Olympic Games. The decision stems from his role in the attempted forcible return of runner Kristina Tsimanskaya.

The International Olympic Committee said in a statement after a meeting of the disciplinary committee, which served “to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Coaches Artur Simak and Yuri Myisevich were invited to immediately leave the Olympic Village, a request that has already been fulfilled. The IOC said both would be given “an opportunity to explain their position”.

Belarusian Kristina Tsimanoskaya arrived in Warsaw on Wednesday after Poland granted her humanitarian asylum. The player refused to leave the airport in Tokyo over the weekend, as members of her national committee forced her to return home.

The runner, known for her association with Alexander Lukashenko’s anti-regime movement, feared reprisals by returning to Belarus after the Olympics, acknowledging this fear in social media posts.