Kristina Timanovskaya: Poland grants Belarusian Olympic sprinter humanitarian visa

Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya received a humanitarian visa from Poland on Monday, hours after she refused to board a flight out of Japan saying she was being forced to return to her native country against her will and that she feared arrest.

Poland's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marcin Przydacz, announced on Twitter that Timanovskaya had been granted the visa. "Poland will do whatever is necessary to help her to continue her sporting career. [Poland] always stands for solidarity," he posted.

He later told Reuters that the 24-year-old Olympic athlete was planning on traveling to Poland in the following days. "According to her decision, that's what our consul heard in Tokyo, she's planning to come to Poland in days to come to be here in Warsaw. And if she would like... she is free to pursue her sporting career in Poland," Przydacz said.

Earlier Monday, Reuters reported that Timanovskaya had been seen entering the Polish embassy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/kristina-timanovskaya-poland-grants-belarusian-olympic-sprinter-humanitarian-visa/ar-AAMPQVQ