Aliaksandra Herasimenia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aliaksandra Herasimenia
AlexandraHerasimenia-0092.jpg
Herasimenia with bronze medal won at the 4×50 mixed medley relay, 2015 European Short Course Championships, Netanya
Personal information
Full nameAliaksandra Herasimenia
Nationality Belarus
Born (1985-12-31) 31 December 1985 (age 36)
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 place 2012 London 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 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 place 2017 Budapest 50 m backstroke
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2012 Istanbul 50 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2010 Budapest 50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2006 Budapest 50 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2010 Budapest 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Berlin 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Berlin 50 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

Aliaksandra Viktarauna Herasimenia (Belarusian: Аляксандра Віктараўна Герасіменя Russian: Алекса́ндра Ви́кторовна Герасиме́ня; Łacinka: Aliaksandra Viktaraŭna Hierasimienia / Aleksandra Gerasimenya; born 31 December 1985) is a Belarusian former swimmer.[1]

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 Lithuania.[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] Gerasimenya 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 (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.[citation needed]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Aliaksandra Herasimenia". FINA. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Olympic swimmer helping dissident Belarus athletes". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Gerasimenya's Ban Reduced to Two Years". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 2012-02-17.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "National Anti-Crisis Management". National Anti-crisis Management. 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  5. ^ "Pavel Latushko Announces Establishment Of People's Anti-Crisis Administration". . 2020-10-29. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  6. ^ Shefferd, Neil. "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. Retrieved 2 August 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""