Krystsina Tsimanouskaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya

Tsimanouskaya at the 2019 Summer Universiade
Personal information
Citizenship	Poland Belarus
Born	(1996-11-19) 19 November 1996 (age 28) Klimavichy, Belarus
Height	168 cm
Weight	61.5 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
Club	BFST Dynamo
Medal record Representing  Belarus European Games Silver 2019 Minsk team event Silver 2019 Minsk 100 metres Summer Universiade Gold 2019 Naples 200 metres European Athletics U23 Championships Silver 2017 Bydgoszcz 100 metres Representing  Poland Polish Indoor Athletics Championships Silver 2023 Toruń 60 metres

Krystsina Siarheyeuna Tsimanouskaya (born 19 November 1996) is a talented sprinter who was born in Belarus and now competes for Poland. She is known for her speed in the 100 m and 200 m races.

Throughout her career, she has won many medals. Some of her biggest wins include a gold medal in the 200-meter race at the 2019 Summer Universiade and a silver medal in the 100-meter race at the 2017 European U23 Championships.

Tsimanouskaya became famous worldwide during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She said that officials from the Belarus Olympic team tried to force her to compete in an event she hadn't trained for. When she was taken to the airport to be sent back to Belarus against her will, she asked for help. The country of Poland gave her a special visa for her safety, and she later became a Polish citizen.

Athletic Career

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was born in Klimavichy, a town in Belarus. As a child, she ran for fun but didn't start training seriously until she was about 15. An Olympic coach saw her potential and invited her to his academy. Her parents were worried at first, but Krystsina and her grandmother convinced them to let her follow her dream.

Competing for Belarus

Tsimanouskaya quickly became a successful athlete. She represented Belarus in many international competitions.

• In 2017, she won a silver medal in the 100-meter race at the European U23 Championships.
• In 2019, she had a great year. She won a gold medal in the 200-meter race at the Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.
• At the 2019 European Games held in her home country, she won a silver medal in the 100-meter race and another silver in the team event.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Incident

Tsimanouskaya was set to compete for Belarus in the 100 m and 200 m races at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On July 30, 2021, she posted a video online. She criticized her team's officials for entering her into the 4 × 400-meter relay race without asking her first. This was a longer race that she had never competed in before.

A few days later, on August 1, team officials took her to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. They wanted to put her on a plane back to Belarus. Tsimanouskaya was afraid to go back and refused to get on the flight. She used her phone to ask for help from the police.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya with a Polish government minister in August 2021.

The incident drew attention from around the world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) got involved to make sure she was safe. Several countries offered to help her. She chose to go to Poland because they offered her a humanitarian visa, which is a special permit to stay in a country for safety reasons. Poland also said she could continue her running career there.

On August 4, she flew to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. She became a Polish citizen in June 2022.

A New Chapter with Poland

After becoming a Polish citizen, Tsimanouskaya was able to compete for her new country. In August 2023, World Athletics, the organization that governs track and field, gave her special permission to represent Poland right away.

She competed for Poland at the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This marked a new beginning for her athletic journey.

Personal Best Times

A personal best is the fastest time an athlete has ever run in a race.

Outdoor Races

• 100 metres – 11.04 seconds
• 200 metres – 22.75 seconds

Indoor Races

• 60 metres – 7.21 seconds
• 200 metres – 23.45 seconds

Competition Results

This table shows some of Tsimanouskaya's results in major competitions.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Belarus
2015	European Junior Championships	Eskilstuna, Sweden	6th	100 m	11.85
			17th	200 m	24.51
2017	European Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	12th	60 m	7.39
	European U23 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	2nd	100 m	11.54
			4th	200 m	23.32
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	31st	60 m	7.37
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	13th	100 m	11.34
			10th	200 m	23.03
2019	European Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	7th	60 m	7.26
	Universiade	Naples, Italy	6th	100 m	11.44
			1st	200 m	23.00
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	26th	200 m	23.22
	European Games	Minsk, Belarus	2nd	Team event (100 m)	11.24
			2nd	100m	11.36
2021	European Indoor Championships	Toruń, Poland	–	60 m	DQ
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	38th	100 m	11.47
			–	200 m	DNC
Representing  Poland
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	30th	100 m	11.32
			23rd	200 m	23.34
			5th	4 × 100 m relay	42.66
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	19th	200 m	23.34
			8th	4 × 100 m relay	43.15
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	6th	200 m	23.01
			12th	4 × 100 m relay	42.86

See also

In Spanish: Kristina Timanóvskaya para niños