Belarus athlete misses race, given police protection, may seek asylum

A Belarusian Olympic athlete who claimed her team was forcing her to return home spent the night under police protection and may be seeking asylum, Olympic officials have announced.

Twenty-four-year-old sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya missed her chance of competing in Tokyo when the 200 metres heats went ahead without her.

A Japanese government spokesman said authorities understood Timanovskaya had "expresse