The IOC said on Friday that two Belarus Olympic officials involved in seeking to remove sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya from the Tokyo Olympics have had their accreditation revoked and have been removed from the athletes' village.

Yuri Moisevich, the head coach of the Belarus athletics team, and team official Artur Shumak were hauled out of the athletes' village, where the teams stay during the Games.

“The IOC canceled and removed the accreditations of the two coaches, Mr. A. Shumak and Mr. Y. Moisevich, last night as a provisional measure in the interest of the athletes of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus who are still in Tokyo,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

“The two coaches were asked to leave the Olympic Village as soon as possible, and they did so. They will be given the opportunity to speak up.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) started disciplinary proceedings against the officials two days ago for their role in Tsimanouskaya's refusal to return to Belarus, a case that is reminiscent of athlete defections during the Cold War.

Tsimanouskaya sparked a stir on Sunday when she claimed that coaches enraged by her criticism of sports matters had ordered her to pack her belongings and fly to Tokyo before she had even competed.

She refused to take a flight home and sought protection from Japanese police at the airport before spending two nights in the Polish embassy before flying to Warsaw via Vienna.

“In the case... an IOC Disciplinary Commission has been established to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and the roles played by the coaches,” the IOC said.

On Friday, the Belarus Olympic team in Tokyo could not be reached for comment.

The case of the 24-year-old athlete might further isolate Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been sanctioned by the West since a crackdown on opponents last year.

Poland has long been critical of Lukashenko's authoritarian administration and has hosted a number of Belarusian activists.

Tsimanouskaya told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Thursday that she decided to defect while being taken to a Tokyo airport because her grandmother informed her it was unsafe to return to Belarus.

“I've never been involved in politics; I've never signed any letters or attended any protests, and I've never spoken out against the Belarusian government,” she stated.

“I'm a sportsperson, and I had no idea what was going on in politics. In my life, I try not to do anything other than sports, and I try not to get distracted by politics.”

Coaches pulled Tsimanouskaya from the Games, according to the Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC), on doctors' advice about her mental and psychological status.