Sonita Muluh says she 'does not feel safe' after incident at Lithuania Powerlifting Championships

Belgium's Sonita Muluh said she "does not feel safe" after an incident in June at the Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania in which a spotter touched the weights and she was subsequently disqualified. Muluh, who was attempting a 334.5kg squat, told BBC Sport the episode left her uneasy when competing.

Muluh said Ernestas Kusinas, a spotter, made contact with the bar using his knee during her record attempt and judges disallowed a reattempt, citing a separate technical infringement. Lithuanian police have opened a criminal probe after Kusinas later posted on Instagram: "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 told Reuters the Instagram comment was "written out of anger after he was accused of racism by an unidentified social media user, and was intended not as a statement but as a mockery of the accusation," and his social media accounts have since been switched to private.

Muluh described her reaction to the social-media posts: "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."

On the lift itself Muluh said she was fortunate to steady the bar after the contact: "I was lucky when I realised [it hit his knee] and I could stabilise it. Not everyone could. It was the heaviest ever squat for a female." She initially assumed the contact had been accidental and said she did not want to see the spotter targeted online.

Muluh criticised the sport's governing body for its handling of the incident and called for tighter screening of volunteers and spotters. "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," she said. "But they failed me [through] negligence and putting my life in danger."

The International Powerlifting Federation issued a statement saying: "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, including its immediate action to permanently ban the individual from participation within the federation. "In addition, the IPF will co-ordinate with the relevant IPF commissions, the IPF safeguarding officer, and the IPF Championships Team to identify opportunities to strengthen the recruitment, screening, accreditation, and oversight of volunteers supporting IPF events. "The IPF remains steadfast in its commitment to equality, inclusion, integrity, and fair play. Racism, discrimination, and hate have no place in our sport." Kusinas told Reuters he unintentionally interfered with Muluh's and other athletes' attempts because he was tired after his duties at the event.

Muluh said the episode has altered her view of the sport's inclusivity and described other instances where she and fellow black athletes felt unwelcome. "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. "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. "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. 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."

The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation said in a statement: "We would like to address the situation that unfolded on socal media. We reviewed available information relating to Ernestas Kusinas and were deeply shocked by the views and activities addressed publicly which contradict the principles we stand for. "The federation takes full responsibility for addressing this matter."