Belarus Olympian arrives in Poland after defying orders to fly home

Belarusian sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya, who defied orders to fly home from the Tokyo Olympics, has arrived in Poland after being granted a humanitarian visa.

The athlete left Japan on Wednesday and after a stop-over in Austria, touched down in Warsaw later that day.

An Austrian official said Ms Timanovskaya was “tired and concerned for her future”, but doing well under the circumstances.

The sprinter voiced fears for her safety after coaches attempted to force her to return to Belarus after being removed from the team.

She was given police protection and moved to the Polish embassy in Tokyo before flying to Warsaw.