- Title: Group of Belarusian athletes depart Tokyo
- Date: 2nd August 2021
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (AUGUST 2, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF BELARUS OLYMPIC TEAM QUEUING UP TO CHECK IN BAGGAGE AT TURKISH AIRLINES COUNTER IN DEPARTURES SECTION OF TOKYO HANEDA AIRPORT MEMBER OF BELARUS OLYMPIC TEAM AT BAGGAGE CHECK IN AND TICKET COLLECTION COUNTER SUITCASE BELONGING TO MEMBER OF BELARUS OLYMPIC TEAM BEING PULLED TOWARDS CHECK IN COUNTER MEMBERS OF BELARUS TEAM IN QUEUE TO CHECK IN BAGGAGE MEMBER OF BELARUS OLYMPIC TEAM SPEAKING TO AIRPORT STAFF AT COUNTER VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF BELARUS OLYMPIC TEAM IN QUEUE MEMBERS OF BELARUS TEAM WALKING AWAY FROM COUNTER MEMBER OF BELARUS TEAM HUGGING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM MEMBERS OF BELARUS TEAM WALKING TOWARDS SECURITY GATE AT DEPARTURES MEMBERS OF BELARUS TEAM WALKING TOWARDS SECURITY GATE, TOKYO 2020 STAFF WAVING AND SAYING (English): "Thank you, bye bye, see you" VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF BELARUS TEAM GOING THROUGH SECURITY GATE
- Embargoed: 16th August 2021 14:53
- Keywords: Belarus Krystsina Tsimanouskaya Tokyo 2020 Tokyo 2020 Olympics airport
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001EOL78LJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A group of Belarusian athletes left Tokyo on Monday (August 2) evening, one day after one of their team mates refused orders from her team leadership to board a flight home from the Olympic Games and who has since been granted a humanitarian visa by the Polish government.
Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who a Polish deputy foreign minister said plans to leave for Poland in the coming days, had been due to compete in the women's 200 metre heats on Monday but she said that on Sunday (August 1) she was taken to the airport to board a Turkish Airlines flight.
She refused to board the flight, telling Reuters: "I will not return to Belarus."
Tsimanouskaya remains at the Polish embassy where she arrived on Monday evening, local time.
She told a Reuters she had been removed from the team as she had spoken out about what she described as the negligence of their coaches.
She had complained on Instagram that she was entered in the 4x400 m relay after some members of the team were found to be ineligible to compete at the Olympics because they had not undergone a sufficient amount of doping tests.
The Belarusian Olympic Committee said in a statement coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Games on doctors' advice about her "emotional, psychological state".
(Production: Martin Pollard, Tim Hart, Ilze Filks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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