Tokyo Olympics: Belarusian sprinter says she would have faced punishment if she returned home – By SKY News Staff (SKY News) / Aug 3 2021
Krystina Tsimanouskaya, 24, has accused the Belarusian team’s officials of trying to force her to fly to Minsk after she criticised the coaching staff on social media.
The Belarusian Olympic sprinter who refused to board a plane home from the Games has said officials from her country “made it clear” she would face punishment if she returned.
Krystina Tsimanouskaya, 24, has accused her national team’s officials of trying to force her to fly to Minsk after she criticised the coaching staff on social media.
After spending a night at an airport hotel, she received a humanitarian visa by Poland and is planning to fly to Warsaw this week and seek refuge in Europe.
“They made it clear that upon return home I would definitely face some form of punishment,” she said. “There were also thinly disguised hints that more would await me.”
