Belarusian sprinter gets visa at Polish embassy in Tokyo after alleging officials tried to force her home

TOKYO (AP) — An activist group says a Belarusian Olympic sprinter plans to seek asylum in Poland after alleging that her team’s officials tried to force her to fly home. She said she feared for her safety if forced back to Belarus. A Polish Foreign Ministry official says runner Krystsina Tsimanouskaya received a humanitarian visa from the Polish embassy in Tokyo. The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation told The Associated Press that the group bought her a plane ticket to Warsaw for Aug. 4. The current standoff apparently began after Tsimanouskaya criticized how officials were managing her team. That set off a massive backlash in state-run media back home, where authorities relentlessly crack down on government critics.