Krystsina Tsimanouskaya: Belarusian athlete who fled Lukashenko becomes Polish citizen

The Belarusian sprinter who defected after refusing to go home from the Tokyo Olympics says she has been given Polish citizenship.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya sought asylum in Poland after defying orders to leave Japan during last summer's postponed games.

In a post on Instagram, the 25-year-old confirmed that she had formally become a Polish citizen in late June.

"Last Saturday was the Polish Team Championships where I won the individual 100m and our team came second," Tsimanouskaya wrote.

"It was my first official competition in which I took part not as a Belarusian but as a Polish woman. Finally, after such a long time I can go out on the track and represent ... without any obstacles.

"I'm looking forward to representing Poland on the international stage, but for now, I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me in this most difficult year for me," she added.

A post shared by Твой личный тренер | Варшава