TOKYO: Belarusian Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya flew out of Japan on Wednesday and was expected to take refuge in Poland after saying she feared for her life if she was forced to return home.
The 24-year-old sprinter has been at the centre of a diplomatic drama in the middle of the Games since seeking protection from Tokyo 2020 staff on Sunday, saying her team was trying to bundle her onto a plane after she publicly criticised her coaches.
And there was another unexpected twist on Wednesday, when the athlete made a last-minute switch and decided not to board her flight to Poland, which has offered her a humanitarian visa, instead taking a plane bound for Vienna.
Wearing a yellow facemask…
