Belarus runner used quick thinking to avoid being sent home

The fact that she had fear for her, her husband, and the rest of her family from the dictator in charge of Belarus is sufficient. The world (sans Russia/China) are behind the Belarusian people getting their current dictator out. Having a daily story about the baddies in the Belarus govt is good to keep focus.

Are there worse places in the world? Definitely. That doesn't make her fears any less true. How many Belarusian protestors were beaten by govt people in the last year? https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/15/belarus-systematic-beatings-torture-protesters

and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzAbvR71iEY thugs in full masks with batons? Clearly paid by govt. They learned that trick from Putin and China, no doubt.

I love stories about this woman, because they enrage our Russian posters. Pure schadenfreude.

Apparently the Belarus authorities (= Lukashenko & Son) do care enough by beating up or otherwise making life difficult for these so called nobodies.

Anyone who can wind up one of Putin's incontinent lapdogs like Yuckashenko to throw a hissy fit can be considered a Belarussian patriot and national hero.

The Belarus government doesn't care, she's a nobody.

If the Belarus government doesn't care, then why are they abducting her home without her consent, instead of just letting her run her 200m race?

Obviously the Belarus government cares, because they got butt-hurt when she criticized them, and they threw a hissy-fit

A.) They should've just let her run her 200m race

B.) They didn't have to force her to go to Belarus. Athletes are free to go anywhere after the Olympics - they don't have to go back to their home countries

Again, nobody cares.

The Russians do. That's what makes it great.

She had a spat with her coach and the media is making it seem like she's on death row.

Clearly you know so much more /s

Let’s just forget that when she spoke to her grandmother on the phone, she was told not to return as the situation became hostile.

In case you missed it, Lukashenko cracks down on his critics, and his son is President of the National Olympic Committee for Belarus. You honestly think her suddenly being escorted back home with no notice is all fine?

This has reached fascicle proportions. There is no record of her ever annoying anyone in Belarus except the Belarussian Olympic coaches. How did she suddenly become a political defector?

It's funny how this quitter who ranks 329 in the world is garnering way more attention than the Belarusian athletes who are actually competing.

Blame the Belarus federation for doing what they did - it's not what she did; it's what they did that's making this THE news (abducting her and forcing her to board a plane against her will)

And she didn't quit - she wanted to run her 200m race

It's the Belarus federation who abducted her to the airport that caused her to miss her race

And that's why the IOC just took away the credentials of those Belarus coaches

Okay, sure, the Belarus coaches should have let the Japanese authorities deal with her: alert them to the fact that she was no longer an Olympic athlete representing their country in these games.

Yep, and let her go. Then it's just up to Japan's visa conditions how long she can stay

Out of curiosity,if she had no other option,would Japan have given her asylum?Or would they have bundled her onto the next flight?Or would she have ended up like the Sri Lankan lady?

Fascinating story. She is brave to clash with the system but the tripping point were the dictator's media back in Belarus who portrayed her as mentally ill, etc. Only someone never lived in some sort of dictatorship wouldn't know what does it means! They can ruin you in no matter of time!

Apart from this I'm extremely surprised from the quick action that Japanese police and authorities took this time! That's not typical and they need a credit for listening to her story and believing it, then helping her out to the Polish embassy. Even if their thought was to get rid of the problem and turn it to an European country it still is something to commend!

Blame the Belarus federation for doing what they did - it's not what she did; it's what they did that's making this THE news (abducting her and forcing her to board a plane against her will)

No competition, no legal reason to be in Japan, thus, a ride to the airport to go home. Countries around the world routinely deport people when they no longer in compliance with their visas.

First, there was still competition - her 200m race that she wanted to run. But by taking her to the airport, the Belarus federation caused her to miss her race

Second, the Belarus federation can throw her out of the team, but they cannot abduct her without her knowledge or consent where she's going and force her to board a plane to Belarus. She can go wherever she wants once she's out of the team

Third, Japan is not deporting her. She's not in violation of any Japanese visa yet, so she cannot be forced to board any plane by Japan nor anybody. So don't get Japan involved in this - Japan has nothing to do with what the Belarus federation did. Don't hide this behind Japan - it's all Belarus

Again, nobody cares.