Belarusian Sprinter Timanovskaya Left Tokyo On Vienna-Bound Flight - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2021) Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya, who was expected to fly from Tokyo to Warsaw, switched to a flight to Vienna at the last minute, AFP reported, citing an airport official.

Earlier, a Sputnik correspondent reported that the aircraft of Polish airline LOT on Flight LO80 Tokyo-Warsaw, presumably carrying Timanovskaya, departed Tokyo.

Timanovskaya was supposed to take part in women's 100m and 200m sprints at the Tokyo Olympics. However, her coaches decided also to involve her in the 4 x 400m relay after two Belarusian athletes were found to be ineligible to compete due to insufficient drug testing. The sprinter lamented the decision on social media, as she was not ready to take part in this event.

The National Olympic Committee of Belarus said the coaching staff of the Belarusian athletics team decided to send the sprinter home due to her emotional and psychological state. Timanovskaya said the Belarusian authorities "forcibly" tried to make her return home, adding that she will seek asylum in Europe. She asked Tokyo police for help.

On Monday, a source in the Belarusian diaspora in Tokyo told Sputnik that Timanovskaya decided to stay at the Polish Embassy in Japan, which is guarded by Japanese police. Then reports said Poland issued her a visa for humanitarian reasons.