Reuters broke the news that two Belarusian cross-country skiers, including one who hoped to compete at next month’s Beijing Winter Olympics, said authorities barred them from competition after sports officials accused them of supporting the country’s political opposition. The skiers, Sviatlana Andryiuk and Darya Dolidovich, are the latest elite athletes to be targeted since a crackdown on critics of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko after a 2020 presidential election his opponents say was fraudulent. Lukashenko has denied rigging the vote.
Reuters reveals Belarusian skiers blame politics after being barred from competition
11 January 2022, 9:30 am 1 minute
Article Tags
Type: Reuters Best
Sectors: Commodities & Energy
Regions: Europe
Countries: Belarus
Win Types: Speed
Story Types: Exclusive / Scoop
Media Types: Text
Customer Impact: Important Regional Story