Swimmer Vitalina Simonova was angry at the treatment of her coach. © Instagram @vita_simonova
Russian world swimming champion Vitalina Simonova and her coach Alexander Ilyin were involved in an ugly airport row which led to Ilyin being detained for an apparent refusal to wear a face mask.
Simonova, a three-time world finswimming champion and European bronze medalist, was returning with her coach from the Russian Short Course Championships in St. Petersburg earlier this week when an argument erupted at the city’s Pulkovo Airport.
Ilyin reportedly refused a request to put on a mask near the check-in desk, instead asking for a respirator.
As a result, the 62-year-old was declined registration for the flight and security staff were called.
In footage shared by Simonova and apparently filmed by the swimming star, her coach was seen being held on the ground and then handcuffed.
"I’m standing up, I’m standing, I’m going calmly," Ilyin is heard saying.
Simonova is heard shouting from behind the camera: "What are you doing? What are you playing at, you f*ckers? That’s an honored trainer of Russia, for f*ck’s sake. Let him go!"
"You don’t need to cuff my hands, I’m going calmly," Ilyin adds.
Sharing the clip on her Instagram account, Simonova added: "At Pulkovo Airport, an honored coach of Russia was detained for refusing to wear a mask. As if it were a criminal being detained! Please share it!"
Simonova later said she had been slapped with a travel ban and was being investigated for insulting security staff.
"It all started at the front desk. They asked us to put on a medical mask. My coach refused and asked them to give him a respirator, since a mask is not a means of respiratory protection," she explained.
"He was told that there was no mask, in the end, the guards were called. They asked him to show his passport, he asked on what basis.
"He also asked to accept a complaint against the girl who refused to register him.
"They said they had to go to the duty unit. He answered, ‘What, am I detained?’ and a skirmish began...
"They grabbed my hands too, they said that I have to go with them as well. But I broke free, took my things, went to the station and uploaded a video.
"They took testimony from witnesses and from me too. He was put in a cell, everything was confiscated and the protocol was drawn up after seven hours. In general, it’s some kind of nightmare. As a result, my phone was seized."
Later appearing on Instagram again, Simonova confirmed that she had at least had her phone returned and thanked fans for their messages of support.
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE IN RUSSIAN
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/24200
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