Aliaksandra Herasimenia

Aliaksandra Viktarauna Herasimenia[lower-alpha 1] (born 31 December 1985) is a Belarusian former swimmer.[1]

Aliaksandra Viktarauna Herasimenia
Herasimenia with bronze medal won at the 4×50 mixed medley relay, 2015 European Short Course Championships, Netanya
Personal information
Born (1985-12-31) 31 December 1985
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, Backstroke
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Belarus
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2012 London50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place2012 London100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2016 Rio de Janeiro50 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2011 Shanghai 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Melbourne 50 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place2017 Budapest50 m backstroke
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place2012 Istanbul50 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2010 Budapest50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place2006 Budapest50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place2010 Budapest100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2002 Berlin50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2002 Berlin50 m backstroke
European Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2012 Chartres 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2002 Rijeka 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2002 Rijeka 4x50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2009 Istanbul 50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2012 Chartres 50 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Trieste 50 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Istanbul 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Chartres 4×50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Herning 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Herning 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Netanya 4×50 m mixed medley
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2009 Belgrade 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Shenzhen 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2013 Kazan 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2013 Kazan 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2013 Kazan 50 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 2007 Bangkok 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Bangkok 50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2009 Belgrade 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2011 Shenzhen 50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2013 Kazan 50 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Belgrade 50 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Shenzhen 100 m backstroke

After a medal-winning career, including gold at the 2012 World Championships and silver at the 2012 London Olympics, she became a critic of the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, and now lives in exile in Poland.[2]

Swimming career
Kazan 2015

She is 2 times olympic runner-up (2012 London) in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle, Olympic bronze medalist (2016 Rio de Janeiro) in the 50-meter freestyle, World Champion (2011 Shanghai) in the 100-meter freestyle, World Champion (25m pool) (2012 Istanbul) in the 50-meter freestyle, European Champion (2010 Budapest) in the 50-meter backstroke, and 3 consecutive times Universiade Champion (2009 Belgrade, 2011 Shenzhen and 2013 Kazan) in the 50-meter freestyle.

Despite a two-year ban for a positive test for norandrosterone in 2003,[3] Herasimenia returned to win gold medals at both the European and World Championships.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, she won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, tied with Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark in a time of 53.45.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won silver medals in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events.

Belarusian political activity

During the 2020 Belarusian protests, Herasimenia was responsible for youth and sports[4] in National Anti-crisis Management, a shadow government created by the Belarusian Coordination Council for the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election.[5]

Herasimenia is a founder of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), a group that supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views. In April 2021, she sold her 2012 world championship gold medal to raise funds for the foundation and for legal fees[6] after facing charges from the Belarus Government for criticising them on social media.[7]

She was one of the supporters of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was threatened with enforced return to Belarus from the Tokyo Olympics after criticising team coaches. Herasimenia sought assistance for Tsimanouskaya from a number of European embassies.

In March 2022 Herasimenia stated her opposition to the Belarusian government’s involvement in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine: “Ukraine has never been our enemy, it is our fraternal people."[8]

On 26 December 2022, Herasimenia was sentenced in absentia by the Minsk City Court to 12 years in prison.[9]

See also

Notes
  1. Belarusian: Аляксандра Віктараўна Герасіменя Russian: Алекса́ндра Ви́кторовна Герасиме́ня; Łacinka: Aliaksandra Viktaraŭna Hierasimienia / Aleksandra Gerasimenya

References
  1. "Aliaksandra Herasimenia". FINA. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  2. "Multimedalistka olimpijska skazana na 12 lat. Nie czuje się bezpiecznie w Polsce". 30 December 2022.
  3. "Gerasimenya's Ban Reduced to Two Years". Swimming World Magazine. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  4. "National Anti-Crisis Management". National Anti-crisis Management. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  5. "Pavel Latushko Announces Establishment Of People's Anti-Crisis Administration". Belarus Feed. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. Shefferd, Neil (5 April 2021). "BSSF head Herasimenia puts World Championship gold medal up for sale in response to criminal case opened against her". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. "Olympic Medalist Aliaksandra Herasimenia Facing Criminal Charges in Belarus For Anti-Government Behavior". Swimming World. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. "«Мы ехалі па сустрэчнай паласе, каб выратавацца». Аляксандра Герасіменя расказала пра сваю эвакуацыю з Украіны" ["We were driving in the oncoming lane to escape." Aliaksandra Herasimenia told about her evacuation from Ukraine]. Наша Ніва // Nasha Niva (in Belarusian). Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. "Аляксандры Герасімені і Аляксандру Апейкіну завочна прысудзілі 12 гадоў калоніі" [Aliaksandra Herasimenia and Aliaksandr Apeykin were sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia]. Belsat (in Belarusian). Retrieved 26 December 2022.
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