A Belarusian athlete defected to Poland fearing reprisal at home

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A Belarusian athlete defected to Poland fearing reprisal at home


BY A STAFF REPORTER


A sprinter from Belarus defected to Poland when she was being forced to return to her country following an emotional outburst. She had refused her team's orders to fly home early from the Olympics. The sprinter, Krystina Timanovskaya revealed she decided to flee after her grandmother warned her it was not safe to return. The athlete had been ordered to return home after criticising her coaches. She is now in Poland, where she has been given a humanitarian visa.  Belarus says she was removed from the national team because of her emotional state. But the 24-year-old says this is not true.