A Belarusian athlete who refused orders to fly home early from the Olympics has left Japan

Belarusian athlete Krystina Timanovskaya boarded a flight understood to be bound for Vienna.

She had been expected to travel directly to Warsaw as Poland has granted her a humanitarian visa. Timanovskaya however changed destination at the last minute, an airport official told reporters.

According to reports, her actions were not a political protest: “I love my country and I didn’t betray my country.”

The athlete voiced fears for her safety after she was forced to pack her belongings and driven to Tokyo’s Haneda airport last week, after criticising her coaches

Timanovskaya was given police protection before being moved to the Polish embassy in Tokyo, where she stayed until departing bound for Narita airport.

Belarus says she was removed from the national team because of her emotional state

However fronting the media on Wednesday, Timanovskaya said she did not suffer from any mental health issues and had not had any conversations with doctors at the Olympic village.