Belarusian skiers Svetlana Andriyuk and Daria Dolidovich were not allowed to participate in international competitions by the decision of the national federation. Reported by Reuters.
According to the source, the athletes were deprived of their licenses, which is why they were unable to participate in qualifying tournaments for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. It is noted that the decision was made personally by the head of the Belarusian Federation of Cross-Country Skiing Alexander Dorokhovich.
Andriyuk said sports officials accused her of supporting the opposition. Dolidovich also considered that the decision to expel from the national team was due to the political views of her father Sergei. “Personally, I have done nothing to justify my suspension and revocation of my license,” she added.
In August last year, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus expelled athlete Kristina Timanovskaya from the national team at the Tokyo Olympics and tried to forcibly deport her to Minsk after she criticized the country’s sports leadership. Thanks to the intervention of the International Olympic Committee, the Belarusian athlete flew to Poland, where she received political asylum.
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