The buyer of the medal of the Belarusian athlete Kristina Timanovskaya said that he did it for the sake of supporting everyone who was forced to leave their homeland. About it informs Nexta.
The buyer did not give his name, but explained the reasons for the purchase, attaching a screenshot of the purchase of the lot as verification.
“I am not Belarusian. I am not involved in politics. Not an athlete, present or past. I am not a collector, for me it was a support action. People who were forced to leave their home, their homeland, leaving and losing a lot. People who were imprisoned innocently on trumped-up charges.
30 years ago, my family and I found ourselves in a foreign country and a similar situation. And there and then there were people who helped us. Freely and without expecting anything in return. As time passed, the roles changed.
No, I will not write off the amount spent on the medal from my own taxes, the BFSS is not registered in my country as a charitable organization. But I believe that my donation will reach those who really need it, ”said the buyer of the award.
He added that he would decide the further fate of the medal, after consulting with the athlete herself.
Earlier this week, it became known that the Christina Timanovskaya medal put up at the eBay auction was sold for $ 21,000. The Belarusian athlete put up for auction a silver medal won at the 2019 European Games in Minsk in early August. The initial price of the lot was $ 5,000.
Kristina Timanovskaya found herself in the center of the scandal after she criticized Belarusian sports officials on the social network, who announced her to participate in the relay race 4 x 400 meters – not her core discipline, without asking or even notifying the athlete. After that, the NOC of Belarus removed her from the competition and decided to take her home, referring to the “emotional and psychological state” of the runner. Later Timanovskaya said that the Belarusian authorities were trying to take her out of Tokyo against her will, and asked the IOC for help.