Belarusian Sprinter Auctions Medal to Support Athletes Targeted by Authorities

Belarusian Sprinter Auctions Medal to Support Athletes Targeted by Authorities
Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who left the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seeks asylum in Poland, walks to attend an interview with Reuters in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug. 5, 2021. Darek Golik/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

WARSAW—Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was removed from the Tokyo Olympics by the Belarusian team after she criticized her coaches, is auctioning a medal from the 2019 European Games to support athletes who say they have been targeted by authorities.

Belarusian team officials took the 24-year-old to Tokyo’s Haneda airport against her wishes on Aug. 1, a day before she had been set to run the 200m.