Belarusian skier banned for political views, flees country

Darya Dolidovich and her family are now in Poland, where she hopes to continue training.Dolidovich, 17, is the daughter of cross-country skier Sergei Dolidovich, a seven-time Olympian who took part in opposition street protests and spoke out against leader Alexander Lukashenko.

"Darya has been stripped of her right to take part in competitions," Sergei Dolidovich, who coaches Darya, told Reuters.

"I don't see the possibility of her continuing her career in Belarus."Sergei Dolidovich, who quit his job at a national training centre after facing pressure from the authorities, said Darya was being targeted for the family's political views.

Darya Dolidovich, one of the country's most promising junior cross-country skiers, said the Belarus Ski Union deactivated her FIS code, an individual identifying number required for athletes to take part in competitions run by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

In a letter seen by Reuters, the Belarus Ski Union told Dolidovich's coaching staff that it had deactivated her FIS code in December last year in response to a decision by the Belarus Cross-Country Skiing Federation. It did not say on what basis that decision had been made.

FIS did not respond to a request for comment. The Belarus Cross-Country Skiing Federation and the Belarus Ski Union did not respond to requests for comment.

Darya Dolidovich had been supposed to graduate from secondary school this year, but it now unclear how she will pursue her studies in Poland.