Belarus Olympic defector Tsimanouskaya auctions medal on eBay
Tsimanouskaya said she is auctioning one of her medals to support other Belarusian athletes
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, the Belarusian Olympian defector who missed her moment at the Tokyo Games is auctioning one of her medals on eBay.
Tsimanouskaya said she is auctioning one of her medals to support other Belarusian athletes, reports the Al Jazeera.
"I made the decision to put my medal up for auction to help athletes that are in need of support or any kind of help and the money will go to the [Belarusian] Sports Solidarity Foundation. In turn, the foundation will help athletes organise gatherings and competitions," the 24-year-old sprinter told Al Jazeera's podcast show, The Take.
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Tsimanouskaya caught the world's attention on 1 August, when she refused to obey her team's orders to leave Tokyo early and board a Belarus-bound plane, saying she feared for her safety in her homeland.
The officials say she was suffering mental health issues, a claim she denied.
"Had I returned to Belarus, two things could have happened. I would either be sent to a psychiatric hospital or to jail," she said.
She had trained for the 200m sprint, but the drama meant she did not participate in her Olympics race this year.
The silver medal she is parting with, awarded from the team relay at the 2nd European Games 2019 in Minsk, has gone up for auction on eBay, with a starting price of $21,000. So far, there is one bid.
