Live from Warsaw airport with expected arrival of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya

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Ruptly is live from the Warsaw Chopin Airport on Wednesday, August 4, with the expected arrival of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya after Poland granted her a humanitarian visa.

On Sunday, August 1, Tsimanouskaya refused to board a flight back to Minsk, saying she was taken to the airport by Belarusian team managers against her will. According to Tsimanouskaya, she was forced to fly home early for publicly criticising her coaches, as the athlete had taken to social media to complain about being picked to take part in a 400 m relay event on short notice — a discipline she had not prepared to compete in.

The 24-year-old Belarusian sprinter was removed from running the women’s 200-meter race on Monday due to her “emotional and psychological state,” said a statement from the Belarus Olympic Committee. Tsimanouskaya managed to miss the flight after seeking police protection at the airport.