‘I feel unsafe’, says powerlifter over racism row

Powerlifter Voices Safety Concerns Following Racism Incident

Ninoda.com – Belgian champion Sonita Muluh, who traces her heritage to Cameroon, has expressed feeling vulnerable in competition after a racially charged dispute resulted in her disqualification from a major event. The 29-year-old powerlifter was attempting to set a new record of 334.5kg during a squat at the Lithuanian Powerlifting Championships in June when the situation unfolded.

Ernestas Kusinas, serving as a spotter to verify the lift’s validity, made contact with the weights using his knee. Judges subsequently disqualified Muluh based on a technical violation, preventing her from trying again. However, Lithuanian authorities have initiated criminal proceedings after Kusinas published a message on Instagram stating: “I am racist, and ⁠I did it intentionally.”

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.

Kusinas explained to Reuters that his social media declaration stemmed from frustration after an unnamed online user accused him of racism. He clarified that the remark was meant as mockery rather than a genuine confession. The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation has imposed a lifetime ban on him, and his online profiles are now private.

Muluh described her shock at learning weeks later that the contact was deliberate. “It’s shocking to wake up five weeks later and it’s all over the internet that he did it on purpose because of the colour of my skin,” she told BBC Sport. “I feel unsafe and uneasy that this person is standing beside me with massive weight, with what can go wrong, with the amount of weight on your back.”

She noted that she managed to stabilize the barbell after realizing the contact, though she acknowledged not everyone would have been so fortunate. “It was the heaviest ever squat for a female,” she added.

Initially, Muluh refused to attribute blame to Kusinas, believing it was merely a human error. “He did not reach out afterwards to apologise, but he is not obliged to. I thought it was a human mistake, that cost me a lot on the day,” she recalled. “But there was no hatred [from me]. I didn’t lash out; didn’t curse at him.”

After a video of the incident circulated online, Muluh expressed hope that Kusinas would not face excessive backlash. “I said: ‘I hope he does not get hate.’ I believed it was an honest mistake. And then I find out five weeks later that he said this.”

She also criticized the International Powerlifting Federation for what she perceives as inadequate support. “I feel like the federation needs to do background checks. If you are going to put my life in someone else’s hands, at least make sure that person is well equipped to be able to protect me or keep me from harm.”

“But they failed me [through] negligence and putting my life in danger. [Kusinas] doubled down in his racist behaviour [afterwards]. Only now is he saying it was a joke. There’s nothing jokey about any of what he said. He put my life in danger. Nobody spots like that, with their knee.”

Muluh emphasized that her dedication to the sport involved overcoming injuries and physical strain. “It’s never going to feel justified… I trained through injuries just to prepare. I’ve put my body through a lot for this to happen. There’s never going to be any real justice.”

She also shared that she did not feel welcomed during the Lithuanian competition. “I hope [the IPF] do things differently – that they consider the safety of athletes more and especially minority people. I feel that’s what has been missing – we have been made to compete in places we didn’t feel welcome.”

Other experiences have reinforced her concerns. “People looked down on us in Lithuania in a very disgusting way. When I competed in Poland someone sneezed in my face at the airport. Some black athletes are booed in competition, we have to worry about our skin colour while competing.”

While acknowledging powerlifting’s traditionally supportive nature, Muluh questioned who advocates for athletes against discrimination. “Powerlifting has been a very supportive niche sport, so far. But who is standing up for athletes against racism? This situation has changed my view a lot.”

She noted that many prominent figures remained silent. “There’s a lot of people who didn’t speak out about it. A lot of big names didn’t say a word about it. They didn’t reach out to me. All the black athletes reached out, so we all supported each other.”

Kusinas told Reuters that he had unintentionally interfered with Muluh’s attempts and those of other competitors due to fatigue from his event duties. The IPF issued a statement affirming its stance: “The IPF unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and hateful conduct in all its forms. Such behaviour has no place within the IPF or the global powerlifting community.”

“We acknowledge and commend the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation for its prompt and decisive response to this matter.”