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A spotter at the Powerlifting Championships is under investigation after admitting he sabotaged a black athlete’s record attempt at the event because he was “a racist”.

Ernestas Kusinas, a spotter, was filmed putting his knee under the barbell as Belgian powerlifter Sonita Muluh attempted to squat 334.5kg at the Championships in Lithuania this June. Spotters are not allowed to touch weights if the athlete can lift them entirely unassisted, rendering Muluh’s attempt invalid.

She was disqualified and not allowed another attempt by judges as a result of a different technical infringement, but the incident has since made headlines after Kusinas replied to an Instagram video accusing him of racism declaring: “I am a racist, and I did it intentionally, because I hate you pieces of s***.”

The comment triggered the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation to issue Kusinas with a lifetime ban and to refer the incident to police, who are conducting a criminal investigation. Kusinas could face up to two years in prison.

He told Reuters the comment, made on Instagram, was written in anger in response to the social media user – who has not been identified – accusing him of racism, and that he intended it as mockery of the allegation. Kusinas has since switched his social media accounts to private.

He also told Reuters that he had been tired at the event and had unintentionally interfered with Muluh’s attempt and those by other athletes as a result.

Muluh, who is of Cameroonian descent, told BBC Sport that she initially thought Kusinas’ made a “human mistake that cost me a lot on the day” and did not bear him any ill-will.

She said: “He did not reach out afterwards to apologise, but he is not obliged to. But there was no hatred [from me]. I didn’t lash out; didn’t curse at him. There was a video of it posted afterwards and 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.”

The 29-year-old called on the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), the sport’s governing body, to undertake background checks on spotters and accused it of having “failed her”.

She said: “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. 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.

“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 IPF said: “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.”

The governing body added that “racism, discrimination, and hate have no place in our sport” and said it would work to “strengthen the recruitment, screening, accreditation, and oversight of volunteers supporting IPF events”.