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Racist sabotage at meet
Belgian powerlifter Sonita Muluh was attempting to squat 334.5kg at the Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania in June when spotter Ernestas Kusinas placed his knee under the barbell, causing her to fail and be disqualified by judges.
“declaring he did so because he was “a racist””
Lithuanian police opened a criminal investigation after Kusinas later wrote on Instagram: "I am racist, and I did it intentionally," and a police spokesperson told Reuters the probe would focus on the Instagram message and events at the championship.
Reuters reported that Kusinas said his Instagram comment was written out of anger after he was accused of racism by an unidentified social media user and was intended as mockery rather than a statement.
The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation issued a lifetime ban, and Kusinas subsequently made his social media accounts private after the incident came to light following the federation’s review of video recordings.
Muluh says she feels unsafe
Muluh told BBC Sport that she "does not feel safe" when competing, saying it was "shocking to wake up five weeks later" to learn Kusinas had said he did it on purpose because of the colour of her skin.
She said she feels unsafe and uneasy that Kusinas is standing beside her "with massive weight, with what can go wrong, with the amount of weight on your back," and she added, "Not everyone could" stabilise after the knee contact.
Muluh also told the BBC that she believes the International Powerlifting Federation "failed" her following the incident and that swift action is only happening now as the story has grown.
Speaking to Reuters, Kusinas said he unintentionally interfered with Muluh’s and other athletes’ attempts because he was tired after his duties at the event, while the IPF said it "unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and hateful conduct" in all forms.
Investigation, bans, and scrutiny
Lithuanian police said the investigation would examine both the social media message and event recordings, with the offense carrying a potential maximum penalty of two years in prison.
“The maximum penalty is two years in prison.”
The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation permanently banned Kusinas from participating in any future events under its jurisdiction and handed over evidence and video files to police authorities for formal criminal evaluation.
The incident also drew international condemnation, with the International Powerlifting Federation praising the Lithuanian federation’s "prompt and decisive response" and issuing a statement that it would coordinate with relevant IPF commissions, the IPF Safeguarding Officer, and the IPF Championships Team to strengthen recruitment, screening, accreditation, and oversight of volunteers.
Muluh said she hopes the IPF will consider the safety of athletes more and especially minority people, adding that she did not feel welcome in Lithuania and that "Some black athletes are booed in competition" while athletes have to worry about their skin colour.