The IOC Could Not

Sports isn't outside politics. It's part of it.

Two news concerning Belarusian sport appeared almost simultaneously. A movie about Alexander Gerasimen was released, and the very next day the IOC announced that it was allowing international sports competitions in Belarus because athletes "should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments."

I imagine Yelena Levchenko calling Ekaterina Snytina in August 2020 and saying, "We athletes are not responsible for the actions of the government, so let the people do what they want, and we don't need it. Let Gerasimenya swim and keep a low profile, let Shkurin kick the ball and not show off, let Mazurenok run and not show off. And we'd better go throw the ball in the basket, sports are out of politics. This is the picture that is dear to the hearts of IOC functionaries.

I remember December 2022, a call from the editorial office: "Your Gerasimenya was sentenced to 12 years in absentia, let's do an interview with her!" And Alexandra's cheerful comment: "Let them shoot her in absentia!" By the way, have you ever wondered why the first verdict in absentia was given to Gerasimeni? Later they started to be tried in packs, but the first one was Alexandra.

All because Lukashenko always considered sportsmen to be socially close. He is not literate, but he knows how to handle a stick and ski rollers. To be more exact, he used to know how - it's time to get used to the past tense. And with this stick, he thought, the sportsmen would definitely recognize him as one of their own. At least somewhere they would recognize, shelter, understand. That's why he ostentatiously took care of sports, headed the NOC, invited sportsmen to all governmental events, gave them awards and plots. He invited women to dance at his New Year's receptions, clumsily portraying gallantry - in general, he tried his best to be his own for them and believed that everything was mutual. And when the athletes took the white-red-white flags in their hands and went out into the street, it was a blow below the belt for him.

Statkevich on the square - it's understandable. It's familiar. It's traditional. Young Front activists, activists, oppositionists - there are no surprises here, they always protest, always in squares, always in prisons. Out, in, out. They have such a life cycle in the Lukashist state, and it is endless. They are enemies of the people. But Lukashenko sincerely considered the sportsmen "friends of the people", and even his own friends. And their participation in the protests became betrayal and treason in his eyes. So he took revenge personally, seeking to strike a blow to everyone. He started with Gerasimeni - it was she, ungrateful, who shone at Lukashenko's New Year's reception in January 2020, and in August she came out with the national flag and became his personal enemy.

He began to take revenge on her gradually, little by little, viciously. They refused to rent lanes in swimming pools. They wouldn't take her child to kindergarten. And then they described in detail on TV and other propaganda irons what they took out of the athlete's house. Even the old music speakers, bought many years before 2020, did not forget. By the way, on those lanes in the pools, where Gerasimenya was not allowed, she coached children. So the state was left without an excellent coach, without future medals and results of her students. But it got the columns and deep moral satisfaction from this act.

And I also remember the detention of Yelena Levchenko - they, small thieves, knew perfectly well that the athlete was going to fly for treatment and rehabilitation. They waited until Yelena arrived at the airport to detain her there - already set up for a flight, a trip, a short rest and restoration of health. They were not lazy to drive to the airport, not sorry for gasoline for such a dubious, but enjoyable event. And what to spare - both time and gasoline are paid by the taxpayers - suckers.

I remember well - and we all remember it - the column of athletes under white-red-white flags with the slogan "Athletes with the people!". I remember sports mutual assistance and solidarity, I remember how they went to the courts to support each other, how they believed in Belarus and in themselves. I remember their colorful videos, which were recorded secretly. By the way, Gerasimenya very clearly formulated the absurdity of the propaganda maxim "sport is out of politics": if athletes represent the country, they are already a part of politics, and an important part, no matter how many people try to convince them otherwise. And it is pointless to shut them, athletes, up.

It was not shut. They didn't have the strength. Let them listen to "Valenki" in Gerasimeni's speakers.

Irina Khalip, especially for Charter97.org.

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