Poland grants humanitarian visa to Belarusian Olympic athlete

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is expected to depart Tokyo for Warsaw this week after a flight standoff on Sunday.

Belarusian Olympian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya has been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland, the country’s deputy foreign minister confirmed on Monday. The move came after the 24-year-old sprinter refused to fly home from Tokyo on Sunday, claiming that her team was trying to force her on board the plane against her wishes. She subsequently sought the protection of Japanese police and on Monday travelled to Poland’s embassy in the Japanese capital.