Belarus sprinter leaves Tokyo on flight to Vienna after seeking refuge

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya expected to head to Poland amid fears she would be punished if she returned home

The Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has left Japan on a Vienna-bound plane after refusing to return to Belarus because she feared she would face punishment for publicly criticising her coaches for their negligence".

Tsimanouskaya has received a humanitarian visa from Poland after she said Belarus officials attempted to bundle her on a plane. She requested police protection at Haneda airport and later took refuge at the Polish embassy in Tokyo in a scandal that has rocked the games.