A Belarusian athlete in Japan for the Olympic Games took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday, a day after refusing to board a flight home with her team.
Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has applied for a humanitarian visa and is planning to leave for Poland in the coming days, a Polish deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, said.
She pulled up in front of the embassy in an unmarked silver van about 5 p.m. local time . She stepped out with her official team luggage, and then greeted two officials before entering the premises. "The head coach came over to me and said there had been an order from above to remove me," she wrote in the message. "At 5 they came my room and told me to pack and they took me to the airport."The Belarusian Olympic Committee said in a statement coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Games on doctors' advice about her "emotional, psychological state".
The Japanese government said the athlete had been kept safe while Tokyo 2020 organisers and the IOC checked her intentions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Belarus athlete 'safe and secure' in Tokyo as Poland, Czech offer visasA Belarusian athlete who refused to board a flight after she said she was taken to the airport by her team against her wishes was 'safe and secure' in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.
Read more »
Belarus athlete 'safe and secure' in Tokyo as Poland, Czech offer visasA Belarusian athlete who refused to board a flight after she said she was taken to the airport by her team against her wishes was 'safe and secure' in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.
Read more »
Europe would be honoured to give asylum to Belarus athlete - French ministerIt would be an honour if Europe were to grant political asylum to Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Monday.
Read more »
Olympic Sprinter Will Reportedly Seek Asylum After Refusing Attempt To Force Her Back To BelarusKryscina Tsimanouskaya is 'safe' at an airport in Tokyo after resisting attempts to put her on a flight, according to the International Olympic Committee.
Read more »
Belarusian Olympic Sprinter Receives Polish Visa After Refusing to Return HomeKrystsina Tsimanouskaya is set to travel to Poland on Wednesday after she resisted her team’s attempts to send her home from Tokyo against her will in the middle of a public dispute.
Read more »