Factbox-Major defections in sport


Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who left the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seeks asylum in Poland, attends a news conference in Warsaw, Poland August 5, 2021. REUTERS/Darek Golik

(Reuters) - Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya refused to go home and sought asylum at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, saying she feared for her safety after she had criticised her coaches on social media.

Timanovskaya is among a number of athletes who have sought political asylum during the Games and other major international events over the years. Here are a few other major ones:

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