A powerlifting assistant is under police investigation in Lithuania after he claimed he deliberately sabotaged a Black athlete's squat attempt because he is "racist." The incident occurred in June at the World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania.
Belgian athlete Sonita Muluh's attempt to squat 334.5kg was disqualified when spotting assistant Ernestas Kusinas placed his knee under the barbell during the lift. Following the event, Kusinas posted on Instagram that he had intentionally interfered with Muluh's attempt, stating, "Sorry for you morons, I'm racist and I did it on purpose because I hate you pieces of s***."
The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation has referred the case to the police, who have launched an investigation into both the Instagram post and the events at the championships. If found guilty, Kusinas could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
Kusinas later told Reuters that the Instagram post was written in anger and intended to mock social media users who had accused him of racism, rather than reflect his true views. He claimed he had unintentionally interfered with Muluh's attempt due to fatigue. Kusinas has since been banned for life from all powerlifting events by the Lithuanian federation and has made his social media accounts private.
Muluh, 29, a world champion in 2024, expressed shock and a feeling of unsafety following the incident. "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."
Her partner, Kristof De Coninck, stated that Muluh could have won the event without the interference and that poor assistance risks "very serious injuries." He added that while they initially thought it was a mistake, the social media comment made it clear the action was deliberate and potentially racially motivated.
Muluh noted that she initially believed it was an honest mistake and did not wish for Kusinas to receive hate. "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 said. "I thought it was a human mistake, that cost me a lot on the day."
The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation issued a statement expressing shock at Kusinas' alleged views and activities, which they stated contradict the federation's principles. "The federation takes full responsibility for addressing this matter," the statement read.