Belarusian athlete accuses home team of forcing her out of Tokyo Olympics after criticising coach

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya sought protection from Japanese police on August 1, 2021, after accusing her Olympic team of trying to remove her from Japan against her will. The 24-year-old sprinter said she had earlier criticised her coach’s decision to put her in the 4x400 relay without notifying her. In a statement, the Belarusian Olympic Committee said that Tsimanouskaya was withdrawn from the Games on doctors’ advice about her “emotional, psychological state”. Tsimanouskaya refused to board an Istanbul-bound flight at Haneda airport. International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams said Tsimanouskaya is safe as the IOC investigates the incident.