A Belarusian cross-country skier has left the country after being banned from competition, with her family saying she was targeted by the authorities due to their political views.
Darya Dolidovich, 17, who now lives in Poland with her family, spoke to Reuters in an interview on Tuesday along with her father, Sergey Dolidovich, a seven-time Olympian cross-country skier. Sergey said he believes they were targeted because of his participation in street protests against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
“Darya has been stripped of her right to take part in competitions,” her father told Reuters. “I don’t see the possibility of her continuing her career in Belarus.”
“We could be accused of staging a demonstration and shouting slogans, then just be sent to prison,” he continued. “Three months ago, I couldn’t have imagined, even in a nightmare, that I would end up leaving my country.”