Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Olympics-Belarusian sprinter says she is asking IOC for help

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is escorted by police officers at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday to get involved in her case after saying she had been removed from the national team and taken to Tokyo airport against her wishes over her criticism of national coaches.

"I am asking the International Olympic Committee for help," Tsimanouskaya said in the video, posted on the Telegram channel of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, a group that supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views.

"There is pressure against me. They are trying to get me out of the country without my permission. I am asking the IOC to get involved."

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.