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Lithuanian Police Investigate Racism Claims After Powerlifter Incident<\/h2>\nInvestigation into Powerlifting Championship Incident<\/h2>\n
By Andrius Sytas and Charlotte Van Campenhout<\/p>\n
Background of the Incident<\/h3>\n
VILNIUS\/AMSTERDAM, Aug 3 (Reuters) – Lithuanian police started an investigation on Monday after an assistant at the Powerlifting Championships said he sabotaged a Black athlete’s squat attempt due to racism – a statement he later said was written to mock those accusing him of racism.<\/p>\n
Assistant Ernestas Kusinas, one of the safety crew watching over the athletes as they competed, placed his knee under Belgian champion Sonita Muluh’s barbell, resulting in a failed attempt to squat 334.5 kg, said the president of the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation which hosted the event in June.<\/p>\n
The Lithuanian federation referred the case to police after Kusinas commented on Instagram: “I am racist, and I did it intentionally.”<\/p>\n
Police and Federation Response<\/h4>\n
A police spokesperson told Reuters the investigation will focus on the Instagram message and events at the championship, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.<\/p>\n
Kusinas told Reuters his Instagram comment was written out of anger, in response to racism accusations, and was intended not as a statement but as a mockery of the accusations.<\/p>\n
“I threw him the bone he wanted,” added Kusinas, referring to an unidentified social media user who he said had accused him of racism.<\/p>\n
Kusinas said he unintentionally interfered with Muluh’s and other athletes’ attempts because he was tired after his duties at the event.<\/p>\n
Muluh, 29, a Cameroon-born Belgian athlete, has won medals at several Powerlifting Championships and became world champion in 2024.<\/p>\n
Reactions and Consequences<\/h3>\nFederation and IPF Actions<\/h4>\n
MISSED BY JUDGES<\/p>\n
The Lithuanian federation barred Kusinas from all events, while the International Powerlifting Federation condemned racism and hateful conduct in a statement.<\/p>\n
The incident was missed by judges, but was noticed in video recordings after the event, the Lithuanian federation’s president, Domantas Barauskas, said.<\/p>\n
Barauskas said videos show Kusinas, a longtime spotter, interfering with other athletes’ squat attempts, including a white Swedish powerlifter’s.<\/p>\n
Athlete and Partner Statements<\/h4>\n
Muluh’s partner Kristof De Coninck said she could have won if her final squat attempt had not been tampered with, and that poor assistance risked “very serious injuries.”<\/p>\n
“Initially, we thought it was a mistake,” said De Coninck.<\/p>\n
Allegations of Racial Bias<\/h5>\n
“But then … it became clear (because of the social media comment) that the person had done it deliberately, motivated by racial bias.” He added that Kusinas had not contacted them after the event.<\/p>\n
De Coninck said Muluh welcomed the Lithuanian police investigation, and was putting together an internal complaint with the IPF.<\/p>\n
(Writing by Andrius Sytas, Reporting by Andrius Sytas, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by Ken Ferris)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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