Belarus Olympic athlete row: What you need to know

Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya under protection of Polish embassy in Tokyo after accusing Belarus of trying to force her to fly home.

The case of Belarusian Olympian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has gripped the world since Sunday, when the 24-year-old sprinter accused her Olympic team of taking her to Tokyo airport to be flown home against her wishes after she criticised its management. Tsimanouskaya has claimed she was warned by Belarusian officials that she would face “punishment” upon returning home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Fearing for her safety, she sought the protection of Japanese police at the airport instead of boarding the Belarus-bound jet and later made for the Polish embassy in Tokyo as reports abounded that she was seeking asylum in Europe.