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Athlete Timanovskaya says her actions were prompted by emotional tension

The Belarusian Olympic Committee announced on Sunday that the national athletics coaching staff decided to send Timanovskaya home over her emotional and mental state

MINSK, August 3. /TASS/. Belarusian track and field athlete Kristina Timanovskaya, who butted heads with heads of the Belarusian delegation to the Tokyo Olympics and later was granted a Polish entry visa, explained that her actions were prompted by intense emotional pressure amid performance at the Games, she said in an interview with the Belarusian state TV published on Tuesday.

"The first Olympics, I was training for specific distances, and when I learnt that due to certain developments I could take part in the 4x400 relay, I was shocked a little, got too nervous, and my emotions prevailed," she explained. "Sometimes, you know, we do something and think layer, and can regret our actions and emotions. So, I think that the first Olympics is already certain emotions for me. I came out, ran 100 meters, failed in some aspects, and it is also emotions," she described the distress she was feeling.

"I started thinking what I can fix, thinking that I still have one more race ahead of me and I need to collect myself and show myself there and my seconds. And then I learn about a third [race], and that’s where I got overflown with emotions," Timanovskaya said.

The Belarusian Olympic Committee announced on Sunday that the national athletics coaching staff decided to send Timanovskaya home over her emotional and mental state. It was initially planned that she would take part in 100m and 200m races. The coaching staff decided to nominate Timanovskaya to run in the 4x400m relay after two Belarusian runners were disqualified from participating in the event as there were not enough doping samples. Timanovskaya took to social media to criticize this decision.

Earlier, representatives of the opposition Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation claimed that Timanovskaya was being forcefully removed from Tokyo over her criticism of the Belarusian athletics coaches. Timanovskaya told Euroradio that she would seek asylum in Europe. Besides, she called on the International Olympic Committee to intervene in the situation and provide help. According to Timanovskaya, she was subjected to pressure and was being removed from Japan without her consent.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz announced on Monday that the athlete received a Polish humanitarian visa. Timanovskaya is expected to fly to Warsaw on August 4. The Belarusian Olympic Committee is following the situation and is cooperating with the Olympic organizational committee and the International Olympic Committee.

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